Code Lyoko Evolve
by XERO.XANA
Summary: this story is about Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita and Jeremy processing lyoko to be a newer version of itself. that includes new outfits, places, and new characters. William and Sissi also joins the group. Behaviors might change due to humor and suspense but overall the story will be funny. (XANA may reveal itself...) Enjoy and R&R.
1. Just the four of them

CODE LYOKO

Chapter one: Just the four of them

**Odd was running down the desert region with Ulrich when he came to a halt. Then he saw three tarantulas guarding the white tower, with a mega tank in front of them.**

"**Why'd ya stop Odd?" asked Ulrich.**

**Odd let out a sigh and told him about the monsters ahead of them. After that, a kankrelat virtualized behind the boys and shot a laser. Luckily, Ulrich blocked it with his sword. Odd yelled "laser arrow" and destroyed the monster.**

"**XANA is not that smart sometimes, ya know that Ulrich?" boasted Odd.**

"**Heh, don't get overconfident, I didn't lose my guard when that monster came." said Ulrich.**

"**Sure, sure Ulrich!"**

**With that, two blocks emerged from the canyon and started firing a frenzy of lasers at the boys. Odd ran towards one of the blocks, somersaulted over it, and destroyed it with a kick. Ulrich blocked the lasers without effort and deflected a laser back at another laser, fired by that block.**

"**Darn it!" said Ulrich."I wanted to blow up that monster!"**

"**Come on Ulrich! Lighten up!" said Odd.**

**The tarantulas heard the commotion and headed towards the two boys, leaving the megatank behind. Luckily, Odd got there before they climbed the rocks. Odd tried to attack but got shot twice by one of the tarantulas.**

"**Odd that's 20 life points, be careful." Warned Jeremy. He always does that at the last minute.**

"**Oh yeah?**_AND _**where were**_ YOU _**all this time?" shouted Odd.**

"_I WAS _**working on the tower!" Jeremy defensively shot back.**

"**Well, what'd you find out?" asked Ulrich after impacting the block's eye.**

"**It seems since the tower is not online, XANA is not attacking. The tower is just neutral because maybe the data of the tower is als-"**

"**ENGLISH JEREMY!" said Ulrich, annoyed by Jeremy's tech-talk.**

"**THE FREAKING TOWER IS NOT ACTIVATED!" shouted the aggravated Jeremy.**

"**Got it Einstein!" said Ulrich and Odd in unison.**

**And with that, Odd landed a crushing kick on the tarantula's head, causing it to explode.**

_BOOM!_

"**Done and done." rejoiced Odd.**

**It was Ulrich's turn. He dashed towards the second tarantula and pulled out his sword. Ulrich yelled out a not-so-popular ninja yell and slashed the tarantula's head, and jumped off to avoid the explosion.**

"**Awww yeah!" said Ulrich proudly.**

"**Nice job guys! You're doing great." exclaimed Jeremy.**

**Then Odd and Ulrich both let out a battle cry as they charged toward the last tarantula. But this one was a high-leveled monster, and gave both of the boys a very hard time.**

"**OH NO!" yelled Jeremy overhead.**

"**What is it Einstein?" asked Odd while taking a hit from one of the tarantula's arms, and got back up to look at the sky.**

"**XANA's monster is very skilled!" panicked Jeremy."It has 1500 life points, and somehow **_fights _**like a human!"**

"**WHAT!" screamed Odd and Ulrich. With that, the tarantula landed a roundhouse kick but missed, then held up its leg and started firing at the boys. Sadly, Odd received a headshot and Ulrich got shot on the stomach.**

"**Ulrich and Odd, you have 10 life points left!" said Jeremy, still panicking.**

**But the boys didn't give up. They quickly shot up and dashed towards the monster, with Odd on all fours and Ulrich using super sprint. Ulrich took out his other sword to block the incoming lasers while Odd simply dodged them. Then they attacked the tarantula with a frenzy of arrows and slashes.**

_BANG!_

"**ALRIGHT! My lasers aren't just for show!"**

"**Heh, ya got that Odd! My swords aren't just for show either!"**

"**LOOK OUT!" yelled Jeremy.**

_KRESSH!_

**Unaware about what has happened, the two boys appeared at the opened scanners. The megatank had shot the boys when they didn't notice that the monster was there this entire time.**

**Ulrich and Odd went up the elevator to the lab where Jeremy was at by the supercomputer, while William was asleep on the floor by the ladder.**

"**Jeremy what was that just now?" asked Ulrich.**

"**Megatank." said Jeremy, getting off the chair.**

"**Aw man I completely forgot about that thing." pouted odd.**

"**Well we don't have to worry about it now, we should wake up William. XANA send four monsters to guard the tower. Why is that?" informed Ulrich.**

"**He was about to activate it. It's a good thing we went to Lyoko before he did that." said Jeremy.**

**Odd yawned."We should get some sleep for Friday. I don't want to be late for that science test for Mrs. Hertz tomorrow."**

**Ulrich also yawned."Yeah. we should go to bed Jeremy."**

**Jeremy yawned too."Yeah, I guess. Try waking up William."**

**Ulrich went to the still sleeping William and nudged him on the shoulder.**

"**Wakey wakey."**

**William snores.**

"**William get up." still nudging him.**

"**W…what?"**

"**Come on we're going back"**

"**Get out of my room….moron." said the sleeping boy.**

"**Jeremy you still got that water bottle you had earlier?" asked Ulrich.**

"**I finished it during the devirtualization. sorry." said Jeremy.**

**Odd tossed Ulrich his half-finished bottle."Use mine."**

**Ulrich catches it and poured water on William's face, causing him to snap awake.**

_BAM!_

**Odd and Jeremy cringed.**

"**OW! Darn it! What's your problem!" snapped the now awake teen, rubbing his head for he had hit it on the wall.**

"**Come on sleepy head, we're leaving!" hollered Odd.**

**William got up and followed Ulrich to the elevator. The four boys headed for the dorms saying goodnight and went to their rooms.**

**Ulrich slumped onto his bed. Odd was about to say good night to Ulrich but he was already asleep. Kiwi was beside Ulrich asleep as well. Odd was surely tired as well, but waited a few seconds. He thought about why XANA didn't attack, but he was happy. Then he tried to get up, but failed and went to sleep.**


	2. Busted

**CODE LYOKO**

**Chapter 2: BUSTED!**

** The gang we're sitting at a table at lunch. Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd were talking about the test in Mrs. Hertz class. Jeremy and Aelita were scanning something on his laptop to search for any activated towers. William came to join the group, but they didn't mind.**

** Jeremy and Aelita got up.**

"**We're going to the factory to do some checkups." said Jeremy.**

"**We'll call you in a bit." said Aelita as the two geniuses walked out of the cafeteria doors.**

**Ulrich, Odd, William, and Yumi nodded. Odd was already finished his seconds and started gobbling on his thirds. William shook his head in awe and turned to Ulrich and Yumi.**

"**So, what did you guys get on your test? It was hard isn't it?"**

**Yumi and Odd nodded, and Ulrich sneezed in his shirt.**

"**Gazunteit" said Odd, putting a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.**

"**Thanks" responded Ulrich.**

"**The test was boooring!" replied Yumi.**

"**Same" said Ulrich.**

"**I fhink fhuh fhest was uh wieht wahr" said Odd with his mouth full.**

"**what?" said Ulrich.**

**Odd gulped the food and corrected himself. "I said I think the test was a nightmare."**

**This made Yumi and William say "ohhh".**

**A few moments later of talking about that bird outside, Sissy came walking to the group on the bench.**

"**Hello Ulrich, what are you up to today?"**

"**Go away Sissi! I don't wanna talk to you."**

"**Why so gloomy today?"**

"**Sissi I'm not in the mood to talk to you! Go somewhere else."**

"**Say **_WHAAAT!"_

"**You heard him, Sissi. Go somewhere else." replied Odd.**

"**Who do you think you're talking to, mini troll?" barked Sissi.**

"**The ugly side of The Statue of Liberty!" Odd remarked. With that, the gang burst out laughing. Sissi just glared at Odd and walked away in defeat, while muttering some comments of how much trouble he's in.**

"**Now Odd, that was a classic." laughed William.**

"**I dunno, she's tall right?" said Odd, causing the gang to laugh some more.**

_Mean while,_

** Sissi went into her dorm and picked up some spray **

**paint and left her dorm. She ran across the campus and pray painted her evil scheme on a wall of a building. Sissi laughed maniacally and left the campus 5 minutes later. **

**Suddenly, Jim came out of the gym and saw the marks on the wall. Jim got so fired up that he ran straight to Odd and Ulrich's room.**

**When Jim hurled open the door the Lyoko gang, and William, swiveled their heads to look at the flaming-headed Jim. Jim practically yelled out Odd's name very loud that the first and second floor can be heard. Even random pigeons had a "what the heck" look and migrated somewhere more silent. Jim marched in the room and grabbed Odd's arm saying "you're coming with me!". As they went out the door, the puzzled gang went out of the room to follow the two. Sissi, watching from a distance in a corner, pumped her arm and said "yes!".**

**When the group arrived from the dorms, they saw that was spray painted of a picture of Jim dressed as Elvis Presley that said….**

"**Jim is Dr. Moron, and a really boring teacher! **_Signed by Odd!"_

**Yumi had an "Oh my Gosh" look and giggled, Ulrich had an "**_OH SNAP!_**" look, Aelita and William sprawled on the ground laughing their heads off, Jeremy shook his head in awe, Jim told Aelita and William to shush, and Odd eyes were shaped as saucers with a mischievous look.**

"**Della-Robbia, you got something to say for yourself!" bellowed Jim.**

"**What are you talking about?" said the puzzled Odd, now changing to a frown.**

"**This nonsense!" yelled Jim, fluttering his arm to the painting.**

"**What's that have to do with me?"**

"**Maybe you didn't see your name!" said Jim as he pointed a finger at "**_Signed by Odd!"_**. Odd's jaw dropped. He looked at the words. Then turned to the flaming-headed Jim.**

"**What! I didn't do that!"**

"**Tell that to the principal, mister!"**

**Sissi, from behind a distant tree, pumped her fist again with a "yes!"**

**With that, he took Odd to Mr. Delmas's office. The gang was shocked that Odd was the one who did that. They looked at the painting and discussed about it. Then they went back to the dorms to figure it out. Aelita stayed behind still staring at the picture.**

"**Aelita aren't you coming with us?" asked Yumi.**

"**No, I'll catch up later okay?" responded Aelita.**

"**Okay, see ya later." said Yumi as she ran to the dorms with the gang. Then Sissi looked concerned while staring at the pink teen.**

**Aelita looked closely at the painting, and quickly thought of something, and raised an eyebrow, losing the thought. Then she thought of something else, but giggled, losing the second thought. Finally she thought of something new. After this, she frowned.**

"_THAT'S _**not Odd's painting! Only a moron would do that! That's it I'm going to the principal's office."**

**Then she took off to where she was going, while Sissi laughed. Then she abruptly stops laughing when she figured out what Aelita was going to do.**

"**Oh no!" cried Sissi as she took off at the same direction.**

**At the office, Mr. Delmas was asking Odd about the painting, while Odd tried to plead to him that he didn't do that.**

"**but I swear, I didn't do that! Honest!"**

"**don't play games with me Odd! You know you were the one who did that painting!"**

"**you don't even have proof that I did that!"**

"**your name is written on the wall Odd!"**

**Silence filled the office for a few seconds.**

"**well that makes sense… but I didn't do it! I was in the dorms with my friends!"**

**As Jim was about to speak, Mr. Delmas interrupted him.**

"**So Odd, what time did you enter the room with your friends?"**

"**uhhh, at 3:00p.m., I went to tell Jeremy that the others were at me and Ulrich's room. So he followed me and we got there at 3:07p.m."**

"**And Jim, when did you see that nonsense on the wall?"**

"**3:05p.m. sharp!"**

"**And when did Jim arrive in the room Odd?"**

"**As soon as I came in!" said Odd cautioned.**

"**hmmm." said Mr. Delmas.**

**Mr. Delmas surely knew who did that painting on the wall when he nodded. Outside, Aelita was sprinting towards the building, to the doors, through the hallways, past the class rooms, to the doors again until she caught sight of the principal's office.**

"**Della-Robbia, I'm starting to assume that it was you who did that." Odd gaped at the principal, then Jim. "You must have done that before you came to the room with the others. If that's the case you are to receive detention for 2 weeks."**

**The almost crying teen was about to leave when Aelita came rushing through the door. Aelita kept panting while trying to catch her breath.**

"**Stones! What is the meaning of this!" yelled the principal. That made Aelita jumped in shock, not knowing how fast she ran from the campus to the office in under a minute.**

'**How the heck did I get here so fast?' thought the puzzled teen.**

"**Hello? Earth to Aelita? Ya there?" said Jim while moving his hand in front of her face, which made Aelita grab it with a death grip. She didn't know she was doing that either, till Jim was fearfully and weakly poking her to let go.**

"**oh? Sorry Jim." she said while letting go of his hand and walking towards the aggravated principal.**

"**I'm here to tell you that Odd didn't do that painting!"**

"_WHAT!"_** roared Jim and Mr. Delmas dumbly.**

"**SEE?" said Odd."I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T DO IT!"**

"**What is going on in here!" bellowed Mr. Delmas.**

"**Odd/I didn't do the painting!" said the two teens.**

"**Are you serious! You expect me to believe you and your little schemes?" said Jim.**

"**How about letting the principal going outside to take a look?" remarked Aelita.**

"**OH YOU'RE ON!" yelled Jim.**

"**I'll take a look! Come on." steadily said Mr. Delmas, his voice louder than the two challengers. Then everyone left to the campus.**

**When they got there, Jim and Odd was shocked to see that the wall was empty. Mr. Delmas cleared is recent mental referral and turned to Odd and Aelita with an apologizing look on his face.**

"**Well Odd, I would search this whole school for proof, but I'll reconsider. You and Aelita proved it wasn't you so you're free to go." Informed the principal, and then turned to Jim. "Jim, the case is over. You're free to go too."**

"**I'm so tired I can't even say thank you." replied the tired blonde teen.**

"**Thanks." Said Aelita.**

"**I don't want any trouble out of you." said Jim. With that, Jim and Mr. Delmas walked back to their recent locations. Jim was thinking he was seeing things.**

**Aelita yawned. "I'm tired."**

**Odd yawned. "Me too. Thanks for saving me. I don't know what was going on."**

"**No problem."**

"**By the way… how did the wall look original now? What happened to the painting?"**

"**I erased the painting."**

"**So you're Ms. Einstein yourself huh?"**

"**You can say that. I didn't want to see you get in trouble. And Jim was dumb enough to think about it."**

"**Thanks."**

"**No problem."**

"**Let's go back."**

"**Yeah."**

**With that they both hugged and left to Odd and Ulrich's room, instantly falling asleep with Odd upside down on the edge of his bed and Aelita sleeping sitting up on the wall beside Odd.**


	3. Babysit

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 3: Babysit

**Ulrich came in the room when he saw Odd and Aelita on Odd's bed. Ulrich went to Odd to wake him up but didn't budge. Then he whispered something that Jeremy was dating Sissi, but Odd didn't move. Later he whispered the same thing to Aelita which made her jump off the bed.**

_THUD!_

**Ulrich laughed.**

"**WHAT!" said Aelita furiously.**

"**Nothing…. Nothing at all." said Ulrich.**

**Odd woke up laughing hard, losing his balance.**

_THUD!_

**Odd got up while rubbing his butt.**

"**Ow that hurt!" said the chuckling teen. Ulrich was the one laughing hard.**

_THUD!_

**That made Aelita and Odd laugh harder, until Jim came in with a chainsaw.**

"**AHHH!" screamed the three teens.**

"**What in the Sam Hill is going on here!"**

"**nooooooothiiiiing." said the three teens in unison.**

"**GET TO CLASS! You all will be babysitting animals! 5 minutes sharp, ya hear me!" coached Jim like a sergeant.**

"**Sir, yes sir!" said the three teens in unison.**

**Then Jim left with a Lynx on his back.**

"**Why does Jim have a Lynx on his back?" asked Aelita.**

"**Didn't you hear him? He said we're babysitting animals." said Ulrich sternly.**

"**But I already have a dog. Kiwi!" said Odd. Kiwi woke up hearing its name, lets out a low growl, and went back to sleep.**

"**Kiwi is mad at you."**

"**Kiwi's grouchy when he's asleep. Let's go to class."**

"**Kay." said Aelita and Ulrich in unison.**

**Jeremy, Yumi, and William we're near the vending machine when the three teens came to join them.**

"**Hey did you guys hear that we're babysitting animals?" said William.**

"**Yeah. Odd, me, and Aelita saw Jim with a Lynx on his back." said Ulrich.**

"**Weird. Why would he have that on his back? Isn't it wild or something?" said Yumi.**

"**Yep. A lynx is wild." said Jeremy.**

**The shrill sound of the bell rang.**

"**Come on we have to go to the P.E. field." said Ulrich. Then the group left to the field.**

"**Hey Yumi."**

"**Yeah Odd."**

"**What type of animal do you think you might get?"**

"**A Japanese bird."**

"**Really?"**

"**I dunno, you?"**

"**I have Kiwi, remember?"**

"**Oh yeah."**

"**I think I want a Hyena." said William. This made everyone winced.**

"**YOU WANT A WHAT!" said the group, including Sissi since she heard the whole conversation.**

"**You heard me."**

"**Why the heck would you want that!" blurted out Sissi.**

"**Because, since I can handle a manta in Lyoko, I can totally handle a hyena."**

"**Wow." said Ulrich silently.**

**The group reached the totally packed field with animals and a few eighth graders. Animals roared and chattered while the teens talked and played. Then Mr. Delmas announced the rules about responsibility and cleaning up after the animals while Jim lectured about not losing them, before announcing the animals to the teens.**

**Emily was first to get an animal, and got a baby chick. Sissi was second and got a Brazilian parrot. William got a (trained) hyena, like he guessed, while the crowd was in shock. Aelita got a pink and gray furred Persian cat. Jeremy got a red and yellow marmoset. Yumi got an African ostrich, which was getting along with Yumi well, while grooming her hair with its beak.**

"**Instead of getting a Japanese bird, you got an African bird." corrected Odd.**

"**I know. Bizarre right?" asked Yumi.**

"**Pretty much."**

**Ulrich was last. He got a weasel, which was very friendly and powerful. The Hyena was powerful too, also group was at the bench thinking of names for their animals.**

"**Ulrich what name are you gonna pick for your weasel?" said William.**

"**Kevin."**

"**Jeremy?"**

"**Oh uhh, Zelda."**

"**You play too much MMO."**

"**What!"**

"**Nothing. Yumi how about you?"**

"**Minda."**

"**Aelita?"**

"**Maeda."**

"**Isn't that a Japanese name Aelita?" asked Yumi.**

"**I dunno. I like the name."**

**Maeda bit Odd's butt, thinking it was a fruit.**

"**OW what the!" cried Odd, rubbing his butt to ease the pain.**

"**Sorry Odd. Maeda come here." Aelita called.**

**The cat meowed and jumped on Aelita's arm.**

"**Sissi what's your animal's name?" asked William.**

"**Glen."**

"**Okay anybody knows what's Emily's pet's name?"**

"**I dunno. By the way, what's your pet's name?" asked Ulrich.**

"**Qwerty. Pretty cool huh?"**

"**NOT!" said the group.**

"_SQUAK!_** Very lame!" crowed Glen. This made the Whole group burst into laughter, including Kevin and Zelda.**

**They we're playing MMORPG, a fantasy violence game at a local park. Jeremy programmed 4 battle skills for the group's animals and his. Jeremy also created a particle field to turn themselves invisible to everyone in the park, and sends them exactly to Lyoko.**

**William (Qwerty): drift, an icy blizzard; pounce, beat up; bite; and MEGA CANNON, a type of blast from Dr. Octogonapus.**

**Ulrich (Kevin): octoslash, to slash 8 times; ninja dance, beats and kicks while throwing shuriken; punk, turns itself into 5 weasels and beats up enemy; super run, runs with the speed of light on all fours.**

**William had on white clothes with a red ribbon wrapped around him, blackish boots, and a giant sword that looked like Cloud Strife's sword in FFVII. Qwerty had all gray fur with a triangle on his back just like on William's sword.**

**Ulrich stayed in his original samurai form. He had a slimmer sword and a sheath. Kevin had brown and orange fur with a circled exclamation mark on his back, similar to the one on Ulrich's headband.**

**The two teens readied their battle stances as the monitor showed the two boys with their animals with a vs. sign as Jeremy said "Begin Battle!"**

**Then they started with an all-out battle!**


	4. Lyoko mosters vs group of six

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 4: Lyoko monsters vs. group of six

**As William was battling Ulrich, he had 40 life points left with Qwerty. Ulrich had 64 life points with Kevin 78 life points. Apparently Kevin had knocked Qwerty off the plateau a couple times that William, Ulrich and Kevin followed. Maeda meowed. Yumi was puzzled. Sissy was watching them from a canyon, the same place that the two blocks emerged from, a few days ago.**

**For the final attack, Kevin used ninja dance to wipe out William and Qwerty with shuriken. Ulrich and Kevin wins.**

**William and Qwerty got devirtualized and sent back to the park in earth. Just as William congratulated Ulrich the laptop started beeping.**

"**Activated tower you guys. We have to go to the factory." said Jeremy.**

"**Right with ya." said Ulrich with Kevin behind him. Then the group ran to the factory.**

"**Okay the activated tower is at the mountain region. Yumi, Odd, and Aelita will go first."**

**Aelita, Yumi, and Odd stepped into the scanners so Jeremy could start the procedures. Sadly they couldn't bring their animals.**

"**Transfer Odd, transfer Yumi, transfer Aelita."**

"**Scanner Odd, scanner Yumi, scanner Aelita."**

"**Virtualization."**

**Yumi, Aelita, and Odd landed on the rocky plateau.**

"**Transfer Sissi, William and Ulrich."**

"**Scanner Sissi, William and Ulrich."**

"**Virtualization."**

**Ulrich was first to land. Then William. Then Sissi fell on the ground.**

"**OWW! That hurt!"**

"**Did you lose your step Tripperella?" said Odd.**

"**Shut up kitty."**

"**Hey!"**

**Odd forgot that his second form gave him cat ears. He was embarrassed.**

"**There's no time to waste! Head north-east to the activated tower."**

**The six of them ran towards that direction, only to be greeted by 4 tarantulas, 2 megatanks, 6 blocks and some ninkrelats in front of a white tower.**

"**Wait a minute!" yelled Yumi.**

**The group stopped to turn to Yumi.**

"**The tower is not activated!"**

"**Your right. Xana didn't activate that tower." said Odd.**

"**I guess the only thing we have to do is destroy the monsters. Right Jeremy?" asked William.**

"**Yep. Go right ahead guys." said Jeremy.**

**The group of six charged at the army of monsters. Odd got hit twice by a tarantula, while William destroyed 10 monsters in one swing. Wow. Yumi then got devirtualized by the intensity of the explosion.**

"**IM SUPERMAN!" yelled William triumphantly.**

_KRESSH!_

"**Don't get too carried away" informed Aelita. But it was too late, William got devirtualized by the megatank already, along with Ulrich. Aelita shook her head and shot two energy fields at the remaining monsters with Odd. Two more high-leveled tarantulas appeared and started shooting at the three remaining teens.**

**Sissi began twirling her staff like a baton to block the incoming lasers; Odd, as always, simply dodged them; and Aelita blocked them with her energy field, growing bigger, laser after laser.**

"**Laser arrow!"**

_BOOM!_

**Aelita shot her giant energy field at the tarantula. But the tarantula literally jumped over it.**

"**What!" yelled Aelita.**

"**WHOA!" yelled the teens in the lab.**

"**HOLY CHESNUT? IT DID MATRIX!" yelled Odd.**

**Sissi jumped towards the mid-air tarantula and swatted it to the digital sea with a large swing.**

"**A jumping spider?" asked Sissi while landing on a nearby rock. A large wave of light blue energy shot in the air.**

"**I've never seen that before!" said Odd.**

"**Aelita, try to configure the tower." informed Jeremy while in awe.**

"**Okay."**

**Aelita ran to the tower and rose to the second platform to the interface. Odd and Sissi waited on the rock Sissi was on.**

"**How was that possible?" asked Yumi.**

"**Wow I never saw that before. Xana really leveled up his monsters really well." said Ulrich.**

"**Oh no! I have to get home before my parents scold at me!" said Yumi, looking at the digital clock on the supercomputer's screen.**

"**Aw. Alrighty then. See ya." said William.**

"**Alright. Good luck on you little brother." said Jeremy.**

"**I'll give you the 411 on what happens next." said Ulrich.**

"**Later Yumi!" yelled Odd, Sissi and Aelita from Lyoko.**

"**Bye. Come on Minda." called Yumi.**

"_SQUACK_**" said Minda while following Yumi to the elevator, and the door closing behind them.**

**The group in the lab and Lyoko waited while Aelita and Jeremy configured the still white tower. William and Qwerty played tug-of-war with his rag and Ulrich teaching Kevin to obey Maeda and not to annoy her when Aelita isn't with her, it will piss off Aelita. Odd in Lyoko was throwing pebbles at the digital sea, while cutting off the land with his claws to make more pebbles. Sissi was pretending to be a cheerleader. She eventually kept hitting herself with her staff for being too big for a baton. Her tail kept wiggling over it, and then she started grooming her tail while walking to Odd.**

"**Hey Odd."**

"**Yeah?"**

"**Why are you throwing rocks at the ocean looking thingy?"**

"**I'm bored."**

"**Okay if you're bored…" said Sissi thinking. "Sing that theme song of code Lyoko." **

"**No way!"**

"**How about playing 'yo mamma'?"**

"**No way!" snapped Jeremy. "That's too much insults!"**

"**Come on Dr. Nerd it's not that bad!" snapped Sissi.**

"**Sissi, watch your mouth!" warned Aelita.**

"**Fine! I'll play." said Odd. "Whoever forfeits in this round loses. Got it?"**

"**yeah yeah." goaded Sissi.**

**Odd got up and took a deep breath.**

"**Oh this I gotta see!" said William excitedly.**

"**Jeremy let me in." demanded Ulrich. "I'm going too."**


	5. Boy meets girl

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 5: Boy meets girl

**The day ended with a pile of laughing teens, an aggravated couple, and their animals. They all strolled down the walk way to school in the middle of the forest. They then said their goodbyes and goodnights as they went separate ways while Odd sneakily went back out to the streets to walk around the blocks. He enjoyed the noise of the cars and trucks passing by, later getting bored when the last five cars turned a corner, and then left the background into total silence. Odd then transformed into his second Lyoko form and dashed into a nearby ice-cream stand in all fours. As Odd stood up, a female cashier eyed Odd suspiciously. That made Odd flinch. The cashier then smiled at Odd and giggled.**

'**Darn my ears.' thought Odd. Then Odd's ears twitched in annoyance, causing the cashier to giggle more.**

"**Isn't it too late for Halloween?" giggled the cashier.**

"**Yeah. I know." responded Odd casually, while wrapping his tail around his waist.**

"**Wow. Nice tail." admired the cashier. "You guys have good technology."**

**Odd grimaced, then snapped back to reality, realizing that he was compared to Jeremy in his own thoughts.**

"**Uhh. Yeah. We do have good technawlagy." Odd lied, mispronouncing technology. He wasn't very good at pronouncing big words sometimes. The cashier giggled rather childishly. Soon after, Odd narrowed his stare at the cashier which made her stop abruptly.**

"**You look young to be a cashier. Too young." added Odd.**

"**I am!" said the cashier with dignity and a hint of fear. Then she stooped over the counter to look at Odd in full length, the two crates tilting due to her weight from her feet. Odd gaped at the stooping girl, resembling a teen.**

"**You're not an adult?" added Odd in confusion.**

"**No. Teen."**

"**And you work here?"**

"**Naw."**

"**Why"**

"**I mean, not all the time. I'm a part-time worker."**

"**Oh"**

"**I gotta close up now. You wanna ice-cream?"**

"**Sure. I want vanilla."**

"**My favorite." said the teen while filling two twin cones. "Hold these. I gotta close up shop."**

"**Kay." responded Odd, taking the two cones while the girl locked the stand and unscrewed the giant bolt from a hole. The girl was surprisingly strong. Odd licked his ice-cream cone while he stared at her. She was skinny (and scrawny, like Odd), taller than Odd, a redhead, and strong. But Odd's jaw dropped he saw her starting a pick-up truck and parked in front of the stand. She got out the truck and hooked the stand connector to the truck to screw the bolt back in the hole.**

"**Pass me the cone, will ya" asked the teen. That made Odd flinch because he thought she called him William.**

"**Oh sure cashier." said Odd as he passed her the almost melting ice-cream. The girl giggled at that. Odd soon found it kind of annoying.**

"**Please, call me Neural Sailing."**

"**Neural Sailing. Cool name."**

"**What about you, dude?"**

"**Odd Della-Robbia!"**

"**Odd, nice. I guess I have to go now." calls Neural, then waves at Odd while heading to her truck. Odd held up a finger saying "bye". Then they went home, Odd happily licking his cone.**


	6. A new Lyoko Warrior past

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 6:(past) A new Lyoko warrior

**Jeremy and Zelda, Aelita and Maeda were scanning information about the replica of the desert region. Very soon, they found something, or someone running through the canyon of the desert region. Aelita was puzzled, and Jeremy was surprised. William and Qwerty exited the opened elevator across the lab.**

"**Sup"**

"**William, check this out" said Aelita pointing at the computer screen. William and the hyena walked over to see the running target.**

"**We should take a closer look. Come on William. Maeda, Qwerty, wait here with Jeremy." informed Aelita.**

"**I'll virtualize you two in Lyoko." said Jeremy. The two teens mounted the ladder and descended to the scanner room. And then they stepped into the scanners.**

"**Transfer Aelita. Transfer William. Scanner Aelita, William."**

"**Virtualization."**

**The two teens landed on the desert region. William was on his original form while Aelita was on her second form. William saw a black dot by an oasis.**

"**I think that's who you guys are looking for, right?"**

**Jeremy was searching the newcomer and tensed.**

"**Be careful. I don't think he's one of us."**

"**Come on, don't think he's one of Xana's monsters." added William.**

"**Just checking."**

**William and Aelita ran towards the oasis while Jeremy summoned a ninkrelat to get an image of the newcomer. William and Aelita soon reached the oasis and the newcomer. He was playing with a hornet. Jeremy's ninkrelat saw the boy and pictured him. He had on a black and gray long-sleeved shirt, black baggy jeans and gray shoes. He wore two rods on his back with reddish energy on top of them, resembling a shape of lightning, and a pair of rings on the rods. His dark hair was shaggy and two strips of hair reached down to his legs.**

"**It's a guy." yelled William.**

"**Are you loud enough?" asked Jeremy.**

"**My bad."**

**Aelita soon found out that the hornet wasn't playing around and two more hornets flew towards him.**

"**LOOK OUT!"**

"**OH NO!" panicked Jeremy.**

**The three hornets fired at the teen, but he easily blocked them with his arms. The teen reached for his rods and pulled out the reddish energy and threw them at the hornets, causing them to burst.**

"**Whoa, cool." exclaimed William.**

"**How does he do that?" asked Aelita.**

"**He has powers too?" said Jeremy.**

**The teen reached for his rods again. But this time the rods broke in two, revealing two small cylindrical hilts. Then the reddish energy shot out of the hilts to show that they are a pair of swords.**

"**Oh that is cool!" said William.**

"**Wow." said Jeremy while getting footage of the scene.**

**Aelita shot an energy field at the hornet but failed. The hornet fired two more lasers at teen but he blocked them with his swords. Then he leaped over the oasis and double slashed the hornet. The hornet exploded and he landed on a rock. The energy disappeared from his hilts and he placed them on the rods. Then he turned around to see two other teens that were following him. Aelita backed up two steps behind William, who was grasping on his sword. But the teen was surprisingly happy.**

"**Hi."**

"**Uhh, hi?" replied the puzzled William.**

"**Hello." said Aelita poking her head out from behind William.**

"**Hey." said Jeremy from the sky.**

**The teen swiveled his abdomen to look behind him.**

"**Wha?"**

"**That's Jeremy." said Aelita.**

"**Jeremy. Who's Jeremy?"**

"**Oh I forgot." Aelita points to William. "This is William." Then she points to the air. "And that's Jeremy. Jeremy is in his lab. We are in a virtual-" The teen cuts Aelita off.**

"**Virtual world called Lyoko. I know that part."**

**Aelita and William tensed.**

"**How do you know?" asked William.**

"**I started noticing strange things happening in town. It's a long story. I can explain." The teen told his story to the three other teens, which was not that long. He also told a part about the giant teddy bear that wrecked his backyard with a semi-truck, and encountered the events of returning to the past. His other part of the story was about how he virtualized himself in Lyoko. He also told them about the monsters he encountered so far.**

"**Wow" said Aelita, William and Jeremy in unison.**

"**I'm a wannabe scientist. It took me a while how to get here. But I researched. So I know most of Lyoko." said the teen.**

**Jeremy's ninkrelat went berserk and shot at point blank at the off-guard teen, causing him to devirtualize.**

"**Hey what the-!" **

"**Jeremy!" yelled Aelita.**

"**Oh no!" panicked Jeremy.**

"**HYAA!" cried William.**

_SLASH! BOOM!_

"**We never even got to ask his name. Darn!" said Aelita.**

"**Don't worry we'll probably see him again." replied William.**

"**We will. Let's get back to school. Ulrich and Odd might be awake." said Jeremy. **

"**Kay." said Aelita and William.**


	7. New powers, new abilities

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 7: New powers, new abilities and a whole lotta fun!

**LYOKO: POLAR REGION**

**Today was the day. Jeremy finally figured out a way to maximize the Lyoko warriors' powers. He wanted to call them after lunch. So he did. They had to return their animals this morning because they had to go to an exhibit festival and will return next month.**

**Later, Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, and Aelita were near Jeremy in the lab.**

**"So guys, I found out that you all have new abilities and modifications."**

**"You did?" they all asked.**

**"Yep. All you have to do is step into the scanners and you will see your new outfits and abilities."**

**"Cool." said Odd.**

**"Alright, let's do it." said Ulrich.**

**"Kay" said Yumi and Aelita.**

**The group descended to the scanner room. Yumi and Aelita went in the scanners first. The screen analyzed the girls. Then Ulrich and Odd stepped in the scanners. The screen analyzed them too. Then Jeremy started the procedure.**

**"Transfer"**

**"Scanner"**

**"Virtualization." The group virtualized and landed on the polar region. Odd got up and noticed that they were still on their second forms.**

**"Uhh Jeremy, I thought you said we were getting new outfits." (Odd)**

**"Come on lame brain, don't you get it?" (Ulrich)**

**"He said we would have to level up our attack points." (Yumi)**

**"Attack points?" (Odd)**

**"Yeah, duh" (Ulrich)**

**"What attack points" (Odd)**

**"Attack points are simple. They level you up so you can be unstoppable. Then your aura will glow and you will transform to a newly customized character." (Jeremy)**

**"Could you make it simple, Einstein, I don't know what you're saying." (Odd)**

**"Attack points simple. You level up strong. Your aura glows and you transform stronger." (Ulrich)**

**"Oh I get it." (Odd)**

**Odd considered this for a minute until Jeremy gasped.**

**"What's wrong Jeremy?" (Aelita)**

**"We forgot Sissi." (Jeremy)**

**"Call her." (Ulrich)**

**"I'm on it." (Jeremy)**

**KADIC: SISSI'S ROOM**

**Sissi walked quietly towards her room where Nicholas was standing by. William said hi to Sissi, Sissi said hi to William, then ran up to Nicholas and falling on top of him.**

THUD!

**"Ow what the!" (Sissi)**

**"Hey" said Nicholas while blushing.**

**Sissi gave him a disgusted look.**

**"Aw man what's gross? Looking at Shrek the third or looking at you?" Sissi remarked while getting up.**

**"Uhh, I dunno. Looking at the ugly side of The Statue of Liberty?" Nicholas replied while getting up.**

**"Ha, very funny. Another trap I wanna hear for the next ten minutes. Get lost moron."**

**"You sure? I'll tell Mr. Delmas that you're looking for another love life."**

**"YOU WHAT!"**

ZOOM.

**(Sissi's cell phone rings)**

**"Ya know, how the heck does he do that?"**

**(Sissi's cell phone rings again) Sissi picks up the phone in contempt.**

**"What!"**

**"Sissi. Join us in Lyoko, quickly!"**

**(Hangs up)**

**"The heck? Oh well, can't be late can I?"**

**LYOKO**

**The gang waited by an ice canyon with a patrolling kankrelat, possessed by Jeremy. Odd was throwing rocks at the digital sea, as usual; Ulrich was slashing the plateau; Yumi was checking her nails; Jeremy was waiting for Sissi to show up; and Aelita was sitting down kicking her feet on the edge of the canyon. As we can see, they are all bored. As Sissi reached the scanner room, Jeremy started the procedure.**

**"Transfer. Scanner. Virtualization."**

WHUMP!

**"Ow, darn it!"**

**"Lost your step Tripperella?" (Odd)**

**"Shut up Odd!" (Sissi)**

**"Get on with it" (Ulrich and Yumi)**

**Aelita screams.**

**"What?" (All)**

**The pcyphozoa floated near the group, Odd first.**

**Odd then swiveled to the floating monster and took aim.**

**"Don't worry guys, I stole one of Xana's creatures and modified it. He's one of us now." (Jeremy)**

**"I feel like I'm in scary movie 3" (Sissi)**

**"Wow." (Odd)**

**"Lyoko is upgrading now." (Jeremy)**

**"WHAT!" (ALL)**

**The tower in the desert region turned light blue; the tower in the polar region turned light blue; the tower in the forest region turned light blue; and the tower in the mountain region turned light blue. Then a wave of orange engulfed Lyoko and sector five altogether.**

**"DAHH!" (Odd)**

**"WHAAAA" (Yumi pretending to be Mario)**

**"Ahhh!" (Aelita)**

**"WHAT THE DING DONG!" (Ulrich)**

**"HOLY SHNITZEL!" (Sissi)**

**The Lyoko gang fell through an endless portal for about…. Five minutes now? until they caught sight of downtown. But the group fell in a lake near it. Odd was in the lead of the falling group.**

**"WHOA!"**SPLASH**! Odd fell head-first.**

**"MOTHER-"**SLOOSH**! Yumi's arms flailing around.**

**"YUMI! YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR-" **WHAM**! Aelita fell on her back, hard.**

**"COWABUNGA!"**SPLOOSH**! Ulrich did a cannonball.**

**"YOU GUYS ARE IDIOTS!" **SPLISH! SQUISH**! Sissi dove inside the lake with her staff following her.**

**The group pokes their heads out to see a large black and orange tower glaring down at them. Jeremy finished typing away the codes for the newly designed Lyoko but frowned when he didn't find the codes for their new outfits and abilities.**

**"Houston, we have a problem"**


	8. New visitor, fun later, and a problem

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 8: new visitor, fun later, and a problem

**Today turned out not to be the day of the day. The group had to go back to class because a room inspection was scheduled today. The data for the new Lyoko was still saved on the supercomputer. Odd yawned, Sissi slouched, Ulrich ignored Odd, Yumi rubbed her back, Aelita walked by Jeremy and Jeremy walked by Aelita. Yumi said bye to everyone and took off in another direction. The group, minus Yumi, entered Odd and Ulrich's room.**

**"so I guess we're alone huh?" Odd mentioned.**

**"yeah. I guess. Ill scan the data of Lyoko tomorrow. In the meantime, lets rest." Jeremy said.**

**"oh yeah. Odd?" Ulrich asked.**

**"huh?"**

**"if that dog ever poops on the floor again, I'm gonna kick the dog out."**

**"**_WHAT! _**What if Jim sees Kiwi?" Odd yelled.**

**"I was just joking Odd."**

**"you'd better be."**

**Yumi came inside the house and locked her door. She rubbed her back to ease the pain from falling in the lake earlier and entered her room. She lies on her bed and soon fell asleep. Until Hiroki decided to bust the door open with a water gun aimed at Yumi.**

**"Hiroki what the heck was that for!" Yumi yelled.**

**"hah! I knew you was out late! As soon as mom and dad wakes up, I'm telling!"**

**"oh really!"**

**"yes really!"**

**"shut up!"**

**"you shut up!"**

**"get out!" Yumi points at Hiroki.**

**She grabs her pillow and Hiroki finally slammed her door. Yumi sighed. Unnoticed, a dark figure silently stood behind her patio door. Yumi then turned as the figure jumped. Yumi then thought this was Hiroki's plan to annoy her and turned her body. The figure, now brighten up at bit, came down again. Then it knocked on the window. Yumi ignored it. It knocked again but Yumi covered her head with her pillow. Then the figure disappeared, and then appeared again, inside her room, with a frown.**

**"hey!"**

**Yumi then swiveled her body to the figure, and then freaked out.**

**"whoa! Who are you!" Yumi asked.**

**"the person you ignored. Twice!"**

**"seriously! Do you know I can call my parents on you, better yet, the cops!"**

**"do whatever. I'm only here to tell you that I've been to Lyoko"**

**Yumi's eyes widen.**

**"wait a minute? You know about Lyoko?"**

**The figure nodded.**

**"who, who are you?"**

**The figure stepped closer and revealed himself. He had on gray clothes with blue streaks on it. His hair was purple, along with his eyes. He also had purple cross earrings on.**

**"my name is Xero."**

**"with a "Z"?"**

**"with an "X"."**

**"oh."**

**"well I'm off."**

**"wait."**

**"what?"**

**"you look like Aelita. Do you know her?" Yumi said with a puzzled look on her face.**

**"yeah. Along with William."**

**"William too?"**

**"yeah. I was messing around with three hornets when I met them."**

**"oh. In Lyoko?"**

**"yes. And Jeremy too."**

**"okay then."**

**"well I'm off. Again."**

**"you're not gonna pull any surprises like that again are you?"**

**"maybe."**

**Yumi laughed and Xero left. She lay back down on her bed and whispered to herself.**

**"****_nice meeting him."_**

**The next morning started up with a bang. Odd and Ulrich happily slept on their beds.**

_BANG!_

**"Ahh!" Ulrich panicked. "what the-?"**

**"what's with… all the…" Odd mumbled in his sleep.**

**"Odd get up! There was a bomb outside!"**

**"now you're just hallucinating. We had that history test yesterday…"**

**"no! this is for real man! Get up"**

_SLAP!_

**"oww! What the fudge was that for Ulrich!" Odd exclaimed.**

**"get up Odd, there was a bomb outside!"**

**"really?"**

**"yes! Let's get out and check!**

**"sure, whatever. Waste my sleeping time and show me an imaginary bomb. What a moron."**

**Ulrich and Odd ran out of the building and stopped near a tree from where the sound was heard. Ulrich looked dumbfounded as he saw nothing related to the explosion and Odd tapped Ulrich's shoulder.**

**"ya know buddy, you couldn't find what you were looking for. I'm going back to bed!" Odd yelled.**

**Ulrich put his hands into a facepalm. As he turned he saw his roommate slouching to his room. Then he turned to the right and saw a figure standing on the roof.**

**Ulrich flinched. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The figure left.**

**"boy, am I seeing things now?" Ulrich said to himself.**

**In the lunchroom Jeremy was analyzing Lyoko as always and Aelita and William ate their breakfast. Sissi came over and joined them.**

**"hey guys."**

**"ello" William said**

**"hey Sissi" Aelita replied.**

**"hi" Jeremy responds.**

**"what are you guys up to today?"**

**"we're not going to Lyoko today. I hope not" Jeremy said.**

**"yep" William countered.**

**"why?" Sissi asks.**

**"it's tiresome. We never spend that much time here unless Xana doesn't try to kill us." Aelita complains.**

**"true, but it's fun." Sissi pouts.**

**"fun for you, yeah." William says.**

**"very funny. I wonder what vocabulary book you got that comeback from." Sissi shot back.**

**"from your face is what I got it from." William said coldly.**

**Some kids in the background started chuckling. Yumi came in and felt the mild tension around them.**

**"hey guys. What's going on?" Yumi asks.**

**"big mouth here wants to be target practice for those tarantulas." William said.**

**"you're an idiot ya know that William?"**

**"Sissi what is twelve minus sixty-four?"**

**"negative fifty-two, duh!"**

**"oh yeah that's your IQ. Thanks Sissi!" William praised sarcastically.**

**The surrounding kids, including Yumi and Jeremy, burst out laughing. Moments later Yumi opened her eyes and see a nearby figure staring down at her from a rooftop. She stops laughing and darts out of the lunchroom. William spotted Yumi and went after her. The figure disappears. Yumi saw something appear near the entrance of the campus and ran faster. William saw Yumi and called out to her. Yumi heard William and stopped at her tracks. William eventually caught up to her and stopped.**

**"what was that all about? What are you looking for?" William pants.**

**Yumi looks out towards the entrance but nothing was there.**

**"damn." Yumi sighs.**

**Aelita eventually caught up with the two and stops.**

**"who was that just now?" Aelita asks.**

**"I dunno. By the time I got here it or whoever-it-was were gone." Yumi explains.**

**Odd eventually caught up with the three and stops.**

**"who was that just now?" Odd asks.**

**"dunno. By the time I got here it or whoever-it-was were gone." Yumi explains again.**

**Last but not least, Sissi appeared panting.**

**"who was that just now?" Sissi asked.**

**Yumi has had it.**

**"DIDN'T I SAY I DON'T KNOW DARNIT! HOW MANY TIME DO I HAVE TO SAY 'I DUNNO, BY THE TIME I GOT HERE IT OR WHOEVER-IT-WAS WERE FREAKIN' GONE', DAMMIT!"**

**Yumi's hair was up in the air as if she was shocked with 400 volts. Then her hair went down. Aelita soon saw the figure and walks towards it. Then it left. Aelita then sprints towards the deeper section of the forest, unnoticed. The figure soon stops and Aelita caught up to it.**

**"you're persistent are you?" a deep, husky voice asked. Then it hit her. Aelita remembered that voice from yesterday.**

**"wait, are you…?" Aelita started.**

**The figure turned around to reveal the same teen from before. This time he wore gray jeans and a dark blue, gray and black striped shirt.**

**"so we meet again. I see you were chasing me around."**

**Aelita ran up and hugs him. The teen hugs Aelita with one arm and the both pull away.**

**"I can't believe that you're here. There was something else I wanted to ask you." Aelita said.**

**"what?"**

**"your name."**

**"my name is Xero." he said.**

**Aelita had a puzzled look on her face.**

**"with a "Z" or an "X"?" Aelita asks.**

**"an "X"." Xero answers.**

**"cool!" Aelita hugs him again.**

**"it's really good to see you again. I thought you were a goner when the ninkrelat shot you."**

**Xero hugs Aelita again.**

**"It's a good thing I used devirtualization before I disappeared." Xero said.**

**"devirtualization?"**

**"yeah. For some reason I had to do it manually so I can get out of Lyoko."**

**Aelita lets go of the teen.**

**"come on. Let's meet the others."**

**After nodding, Xero sensed movement from feet away to his right. Then he looked to where the movement was. Aelita saw Xero then looked to where he was looking and sees Jeremy leaning on a tree with an apprehensive look on his face. Xero tensed and Aelita felt his arm tense.**

**"who are you?" Jeremy said.**

**"I could ask you the same." Xero responds.**

**Aelita was surprised that Jeremy forgot about Xero.**

**"Xero, you know who he is, right?"**

**"that's Jeremy. I already know. It's not surprising that he doesn't know who I am because he has another thought in his mind right now." Xero said coolly.**

**"what do you mean Xero?" Aelita asks.**

**"he's not happy to see me."**

**Jeremy stands up straight.**

**"Aelita what are you doing with that guy?" Jeremy said.**

**"Jeremy, this is Xero. He was in Lyoko with us-"**

**Jeremy interrupted.**

**"that's crazy!" Jeremy shouted. "there's no way a complete stranger would know anything about Lyoko. Are you stupid Aelita?"**

**Xero saw Jeremy's fists clenched. Then he narrows his eyes into slits. Aelita knew where this was going into. But something unexpected happens.**

**"you know Jeremy, you're an idiot. I'll get straight to the point." Xero informed. "the reason why you are angry right now, it's because you see me with Aelita instead of all of us in a group. Or in a pathetic way, if necessary, you might think Aelita is cheating on you. That's why you weren't this way when Aelita wasn't alone when we were in Lyoko."**

**Aelita understood what Xero said. Jeremy was about to lose it and Xero nudged Aelita away from him.**

**"Aelita, you might want to back off a bit." Xero warned. Aelita reluctantly obeys.**

**"Jeremy what are you going to do?" Aelita asks. Jeremy ignores Aelita. A shadow blocks Jeremy's eyes and Xero stood there. Suddenly Jeremy sprints towards Xero and punches him in the face. He continues to punch him several times as he stands there doing nothing. Aelita gasps.**

**"Jeremy stop it!" Aelita screams. He ignores Aelita once again and continues to punch him. Xero ignores the stabbing pain on his face. He had scratches on his face and blood trickled from his mouth. Aelita screams at Jeremy once again and tries to pry Jeremy from Xero. Jeremy then turned his anger towards Aelita and pushes her to the ground. Aelita screams in terror.**

**Xero lost his cool and a fuse that covers his temper suddenly blew up.**

_THUMP!_

**Xero connected his right leg on Jeremy's abdomen launching him in the air. Jeremy coughed up blood and it landed on Xero's face. As he descends Xero grabs him by the collar and throws him to a tree. Jeremy crashed upside-down to a tree back first. Then Jeremy got back up to attack Xero again.**

**"why you son of a-"**

**Xero powerful jab throws Jeremy back to the tree and then jabs Jeremy's face repeatedly. Aelita coughs and looks up at the two. Then she screams at Xero to stop him from killing Jeremy.**

**Xero's body froze, his left fist millimeters from Jeremy's face. Jeremy was all bruised up. Jeremy couldn't feel his body. It felt like his body was broken in pieces. Xero pants and curses himself for messing up Jeremy, also causing a meaningless skirmish about a meaningless problem. Aelita wipes some of the tears off of her face and walks up to Xero. Xero knew what was going to happen next.**

**"go ahead Aelita." Xero said.**

_CRACK!_

**A red spot forms on Xero's face. Aelita's hand started to throb. Xero turns around to walk away until he sensed large movement. A group of teens showed up. Yumi took the lead, William and Ulrich second, Odd third, Sissi last. The group stopped and saw the event before them. Sissi and Yumi ran up to Jeremy and helps him up.**

**"what the hell happened!" Yumi shouted.**

**Aelita stiffens. Odd and Ulrich were wide eyed and Sissi eyed Xero then Jeremy with a puzzled expression. Odd stood forward and nods.**

**"I bet a fight broke out between this guy and Jeremy." Odd reckons.**

**Yumi eyed Xero with a look of sorrow.**

**"why…" Yumi let out.**

**Xero looks at Yumi with a blank expression.**

**"for something meaningless." Xero said.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>sorry it took so long.-_- school was on my mind and as well as some unexpected scedules. next chapter is in development.<strong>_

_**review if ya like it. ^_^**_


	9. What the Eff

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 9: what the eff/to be honest

**Odd, Ulrich and Sissi sat on a sofa in front of the infirmary. Jeremy was badly hurt due to earlier's event and Yolande brought him in to treat his wounds. Yumi was gone missing and Aelita was nowhere to be found. Odd slouched and began to fall asleep. Ulrich sat still unnoticed and Sissi fidgeted in place due to tension. Then their hearts skipped a beat as Yolande opened the door.**

**"Jeremy should be fine in about a few minutes." she said.**

**"ohh, ohh can we see him!?" Sissi shot up.**

**"I'm sorry, but he has to rest" Yolande informs.**

**"aw. okay." Sissi sat back down.**

**"I hope he's alright. Things aren't exactly going well right now." Ulrich said inscrutably.**

**"I'd like to know hat happened, you guys. What caused Jeremy to be so badly hurt?" Yolande asks.**

**"oh, that! Jeremy got beat up by some certain psychopathic ass-"**

**"DONKEY!" Odd called out as he successfully interrupted Sissy.**

**"excuse me?"**

_**"the fudge, Sissi!" **_**Odd thought.**

**"a rabbit donkey came out of nowhere and knocked Jeremy out of his feet." Odd said with a straight face.**

**Yolande sweatdropped. "a rabbit donkey?"**

**Sissi facepalmed and Ulrich sighed in his mind. "it's rabid, you cheese-headed moron..."**

**"DONCHA THINK I KNOW THAT!?"**

**"SHOULDN'T YOU ASK THAT TO YOUR UNDERDEVELOPED BRAIN, IDIOT!?"**

**"SHADDAP!"**

**"MAKE ME, YOU LIGHTHOUSE OF A HEAD!"**

**"DOES THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE!? WHAT THE CHEESE CRACKERS DID YOU LEARN IT IN, SECOND GRADE!?"**

**"NO I LEARNED IT IN TWITTER!"**

**"WHERE THE FUDGE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?"**

**"ATYOURMOMMASHOUSE IS WHERE I GOT IT FROM!"**

**Yolande's body shook for a split second as she tried to stifle a giggle, but Odd noticed it.**

**"you laughed! you betrayed me Yolande..." Odd dramatically (and seriously) said and Ulrich bonked him upside the head. Then Yolande went back inside to check on Jeremy. A few moments passed as they waited for Yolande to come back. Then Sissi got tired and got up to open the door, until Jeremy pops up from the entrance. All of their jaws dropped at the sight as Jeremy held his laptop in a semi-stricken state.**

**"what's going on guys?" Jeremy asked.**

**"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" they all screamed.**

**Jeremy fixed his glasses. "huh?"**

**"you're supposed to be in bed, you moron!" Sissi gauged.**

**Jeremy slumps. "wha-?"**

**The door swings open and Sissi took only 0.90210 seconds to take Jeremy and dump him into a nearby trashcan and cover it just before Yolande came out of the room with a shake in her hand. Her eyebrows lowered in suspicion as Sissi leans on the trashcan as un-coolly as possible.**

**"uhhh, did I miss something?"**

**"nah." Sissi said.**

**"nope" Odd responds. Ulrich fake-sleeps through the awkward moment.**

**"o-k then. I'm going to the bathroom. And you can see Jeremy now. He's okay." Yolande said. Then she walks up to Sissi. She gulps.**

**"excuse me Sissi."**

**"uhh, why?"**

**"I have to throw this away..."**

**"I'll do it!" Sissi says quickly as she takes the half-finished shake rom Yolande. A minute passed as they stood there.**

**"well..." Yolande said.**

**"well, what?" Sissi asked.**

**"throw it away."**

**"nah, i'll drink it."**

**"you want to drink a roach-infested beverage? That's not very healthy, especially if you have weight problems, Sissi."**

**"ew, why is there a roach in your shake; AND I DO NOT HAVE WEIGHT PROBLEMS!" Sissi blindly snatched the lid off the trashcan, tossed the shake in there and slammed it shut. Yolande made a quick note to leave before Sissi's anger went to her. After a while, Sissi finally calmed down. Odd came to the trashcan and took the lid off and out stood a pissed off Jeremy with a slimy milkshake sliding from head to toe. The cup sat on top of his head and he managed to hide his laptop under his shirt.**

**"I'm gonna murder you..."**

**"soo... if you are here, and you are not injured, then how the hell did you manage to leave that room?" Sissi asked.**

**"the only room I came from was my room. I was there the whole time after I left breakfast."**

**"but weren't you with us when we left the cafeteria?" Odd blurted.**

**"yeah, you guys left me like headless chickens."**

**Sissi's temple throbbed. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that part..."**

**"but weren't you and Aelita the ones fighting with some other guy?" Odd said.**

**"WHAAAT? AELITA FOUGHT SOMEONE!? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!? I HAVE TO STOP THIS!"**

**"do that later" Ulrich said. "Anyway, you might wanna look at this..."**

**The rest of them surrounded the door, finding a rumpled cot and an open window.**

**"It was probably Xana..." Ulrich concludes.**

**Xero stood on top of a coffee shop during sunset. He wasn't feeling very well due to the stressful event from earlier. He hears footsteps from below and looks down, only to find a pair of couples exit the shop with mugs and donuts. He sighs and lays on the rough surface of the roof. He suddenly hears footsteps again, though he ignores it as he assumes they might belong to the people below. Then he heard a step right above him. Yumi stood ominously right next to his head. Xero got up and faced Yumi. The atmosphere fills with remorse and betrayal, and he felt it. Yumi tried her best to control her anger, especially since she had just met him and tried to raise their friendship in order to know each other more, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't contain it.**

THUMP!

**Nearby pigeons flew away just as some ATH-diagnosed people stopped due to the sudden noise. Yumi angrily sighed.**

**"what the hell was that all about, Xero?" Yumi started. "That was our friend you just injured. How could you possibly do that? Aelita is traumatized right now. Why did it happened?"**

**"Yumi, there's no answer."**

**"what?" Yumi's anger grew. "After terribly beating Jeremy to a pulp, and letting Aelita witness the whole thing by standing two feet from your murderous brawling just to have you tell me to my face that there's no answer? You just made yourself sound so pathetic!"**

**Xero didn't answer.**

**"Say something!"**

**"something." Xero echoed.**

**Yumi threw a punch that was grabbed afterwards by Xero.**

**"Yumi, there's nothing to be angry about."**

**"why!?"**

**"because I just realized that I wasn't fighting Jeremy."**

**Yumi tensed. "Now you're lying to me?"**

**"you don't get it, do you?"**

**"get, what?"**

**"I wasn't fighting the real Jeremy. Did you even see the entire thing?"**

**"I saw when he didn't recognize you."**

**"and did you see him throw the first punch?"**

**Yumi froze. "yeah. What are you trying to say?"**

**"Jeremy never throws the first punch. He doesn't fight to begin with, as I heard."**

**"who said that?"**

**"a blond kid with his hair standing up. I kind of find it unusual."**

_"Odd..."_ **Yumi thought.**

**"you believe me now, or do you still have doubt?"**

**"I'm not sure of what you're telling me right now. Jeremy is still hurt."**

**"that wasn't Jeremy."**

**"how do you know?"**

**"while the quarrel happened..."**

**[past]**

**Aelita screams at Jeremy once again and tries to pry Jeremy off Xero. For a slit second, Xero saw that Jeremy's eyes flashed X.A.N.A.'s insignia. Jeremy then turned his anger towards Aelita and pushes her to the ground. Aelita screams in terror.**

**Xero lost his cool and a fuse that covers his temper suddenly blew up.**

_THUMP!_

**Xero connected his right leg on Jeremy's abdomen launching him in the air. Jeremy coughed up blood and it landed on Xero's face. As he descends Xero grabs him by the collar and throws him to a tree. Jeremy crashed upside-down to a tree back first. Then Jeremy got back up to attack Xero again. His eyes flashed once more.**

**"why you son of a-"**

**Xero's powerful jab throws Jeremy back to the tree and then jabs him repeatedly. Aelita coughs and looks up at the two. Then she screams at Xero to stop him from killing Jeremy.**

**Xero's body froze, his left fist millimeters from Jeremy's face.**

**[end]**

**"...and that was it."**

**Yumi stood there for a while.**

**"so you are telling the truth."**

**"every bit of it."**

**"I believe you. But I will leave this to you. If I find out that you're lying to me, you'll be in greater trouble than you were a few seconds ago."**

**"I'll hold on to that."**

**"so what are you going to do now?"**

**"find Aelita, just to reassure her that this was a fluke."**

**"make sure to tell her the right way."**

**"only if she wants to see me alive..."**

**Yumi grins. "I'll get the others."**

**"roger."**

**Yumi grabs Xero and embraces him into a warming hug. Xero acknowledged and hugs her back. Then they went separate directions; Yumi went to Kadic and Xero walks towards the forest.**


	10. Coming Back TogetherFor Something Big

CODE LYOKO 10: Coming Back Together... For Something Big

**Yumi did a marathon towards the campus and climbed the stairs to Odd and Ulrich's room. Once there, all of them (besides Aelita and including William) were there. Yumi pants. Odd got up and stretched.**

**"hey there, Yumi."**

**"guys, you gotta hear this!" Yumi said. "I think-"**

**"Xana's attacking? We've already figured it out." William finished.**

**"Yep. But it didn't activate a tower." Jeremy added.**

**"It must be hiding secret information or something..." Sissi said.**

**"okay, cool. so you guys aren't braindead." Yumi said.**

**"thanks for the heads-up though." Ulrich said.**

**"well, i'm gonna go look for Aelita." Sissi got up and started for the door.**

**"hey wait for me. I'm going too" Odd also got up and followed suit.**

**"Yumi, go with them. Ulrich, William and I will go to the factory and get things set up." Jeremy suggested.**

**"roger."**

**"who's roger?"**

**"no one."**

**"oh, oh nevermind."**

**Yumi bonked him on his forehead.**

**"ow, what was that for?"**

**"could of had a V8."**

**The group laughed as Jeremy's temple throbbed.**

**Meanwhile, Xero makes a last step before standing by a slightly leaning, rust and vine covered gate.**

**"It might be this place... if that's what i heard."**

**Xero read the sign that said 'Hermitage' and walked into the gate. Right then and there he knew Aelita was around somewhere. He walks through the open yard towards the porch, where it was currently run-down. As he got to the first step of the porch, it automatically breaks and Xero topples to the floor and that breaks too. Xero's arm sumberges from the small debris and he goes into the house. He looks around the house for any signs of Aelita. None so far. There was a stairway down the hall by the kitchen. He climbed it and reached the second floor. He knows now that Aelita was in one of these rooms. There was a bathroom between the backroom and the one near the front windows. He went and check the backroom with no sign of Aelita. Then he returned and stops right at the door. He felt a sign of Aelita on the other side of that door. Then he opens it; Aelita was not here. He looks down only to see a plush elf toy. He picks it up and examines it. Something flashed in his mind but he puts it back at the exact spot since it wasn't his business. He heard noises of a book falling down and quickly jumps out a window and closing it. After a moment, he was gone. The book that fell in the house was one of Frantz Hopper's dictionaries.**

**The group was already at the entrance of the sewers. Odd went down last and closed the entrance. They rode their skateboards and scooter to the bridge and exited the sewers. As Odd closed the exit, they crossed the bridge and entered the elevator. After descending, the door opens. Suddenly the door malfunctions. Jeremy hums in question and Ulrich tries to open it. It obliges and the lab reveals Aelita standing in the center of it.**

**"Aelita!" they all said as they ran up to hug her, but she disappeares.**

**"uhh... is it me, or did she just went ghost mode on us?" Odd asked.**

**"what's going on?" William wondered.**

**The supercomputer beeped. Jeremy ran up to it and noticed that Aelita is attacking a horde of monsters.**

**"what the-, guys Aelita needs help!"**

**"on it!" they all said.**

**They hurried to the scanners and the girls went first.**

**"transfer Sissi, transfer Yumi."**

**"scanner Sissi, scanner Yumi."**

**"virtualization."**

**Sissi and Yumi lands in the mountain region.**

**"transfer Odd, Ulrich, William."**

**"scanner Odd, Ulrich, William."**

**"virtualization."**

**The boys landed behind Sissi, who twirled her baton and accidentally hitting Odd in the face.**

**"OH CRAP! sorry Odd."**

**"thanks for the heads-up, literally."**

**"good thing i turned off friendly fire. Now go help Aelita!"**

**Their vehicles came and William used his own personalized super smoke as Sissi rode with Yumi. They sped towards the purple tower as Aelita dodges many lasers throws another energy field and destroys another tarantula. William was first to arrive as he popped out of nowhere and swings his sword to produce a large blast of energy, obliterating many tarantulas once again.**

**"SOUPA MAN!" William shouted.**

**"YOU SAID THAT ALREADY!" Odd chimed in.**

**"with a tweak."**

**"you said soup. that does't count." Ulrich added.**

**"come on, it was catchy. i just destroyed all of them."**

**Yumi and Sissi was last to arrive. "Aelita!" they said as they both went to the panting elf. The rest followed suit.**

**"Xana's trying to take over the tower..." Aelita started. "He's sending more monsters, and fast."**

**"guys! there are a few more tarantulas and krabs coming you way!" Jeremy warned.**

**Yumi got frustrated and threw a tessen fan.**

**"why'd you do that?" Sissi asked. Then her question was answered as the fan sliced the leading krabs' legs off, destroying them in the process.**

**"that's why." Sissi said.**

**"krabs are easy to kill now." Yumi said as she got up and retrieved her fan. Ulrich took out his swords and charged towards the tarantulas. Odd stayed in his position and shot down the last tarantula.**

**"nice one Odd." Jeremy stated.**

**"he saw it coming."**

**The third tarantula walked on it's hinds and started to shoot at Sissi. She squeaked and blocks some of its lasers. Ulrich handled the second one and William sliced the first one in half. Yumi helped Aelita towards the tower. Sissi went close to the third one and tried to knock it off it's feet, but failed terribly as the tarantula tripped and fell on top of Sissi. Hold on, what?**

**Everything stopped.**

**Jeremy dropped his mouse, Aelita and Yumi froze in place, Ulrich's sword was inches from the second tarantula, William stared with a 'wtf' look in his face along with Odd. Then everyone laughed.**

**"how the hell does a tarantula trip?" Yumi asked incredilously.**

**"I don't know" Aelita followed.**

**Laughter continued for another five minutes. Then Ulrich finally noticed that his tarantula was laughing too, as it was pointing its arm at the two.**

**"aw, shut up!"**

_SLASH! BOOM!_

**The comical scene soon ended as Sissi got in a tantrum that caused the third tarantula to lift itself up and struggle to leave. Sissi wasn't going to allow that as she picked up a rock and threw it at the monster. It fell as she jumped in the air and dicapitating it with her staff and destroying it.**

**"we have to get to the tower." Sissi mentioned silently. "Don't we?"**

**"yeah." they all said. It didn't take long to get there. The tower was almost in posession of Xana and Aelita needed some time to configure it. Meanwhile, the region turned foggy. Yumi felt uneasy as the fog was dense. Then a figure was shown. Yumi got off a boulder and took a stance, inching in to grab her tessen fans.**

**"Yumi, what's wrong?" William said. Ulrich looked up as if on cue.**

**"there's something over there."**

**"what is it?" Aelita said as she was configuring the tower.**

**"I dunno. i'm not picking anything."**

**There was faint clanking. Yumi heard it. Then Odd got off his boulder as he heard it too. He stops next to Yumi and takes aim at the open area.**

**"Odd?" Sissi said, her voice cracked.**

**The clanking got louder and everyone else heard it. It was a different type of clanking, not the usual one they would hear from turantulas. But it was the same monster.**

**"guys... we're in big trouble..." Jeremy trembled.**

**"and I think I know why..." Yumi and Sissi said in unison.**

**The figure got closer to the group as the fog cleared. A slightly bigger tarantula approached them with a menacing appearance. Its body was painted gray with the eye of Xana on it's head. It's arms tipped itself with orange claws. Finally it's eyes were black with white dots.**

**"Xana finally upgraded it's monster. The old one was just starting to get boring."**

**"THAT'S THE SAME JUMPING SPIDER FROM LAST TIME!" Sissi remembered loudly.**

**The last tarantulas that Odd, Ulrich and Sissi encountered had 1500 life points. This one had more than twice the life points.**

**"you guys have to keep it away from Aelita, as much as possible! It's planning to retake the tower by using her!" Jeremy informed.**

**"oh great." Odd said.**

**Out of nowhere, the tarantula was airbourne and heading towards Yumi at high velocity. It pinned her down and Yumi lost half of her life points.**

**"Yumi!" Jeremy yelled out.**

**"not a chance" Ulrich sliced its head. It didn't recieve any sort of damage and it retaliates by grabbing Ulrich by the throat and slamming him to the ground.**

**"Ulrich!" Yumi screamed.**

**The scanner opens as Ulrich passes out from the intensity of the devirtualization. Odd retaliates as he shoots at the tarantula at point blank. Sissi threw her staff while in mid-air. The tarantula grabbed the staff and blocks Odd's arrows. Then it throws it back at Odd while he changes position. Right before he lands on a boulder, Odd felt a sharp pain on his abdomen and falls face-first onto the ground. Then he sees Sissi's staff and where it came from.**

**"hah! Friendly fire doesn't work, you four legged freak." Odd then loses his confidence as the tarantula was not on Yumi anymore. Instead it was in the air, coming down fast towards Odd. He barely makes it out alive as he evades the proximity of the monsters landing that destroyed the plateu.**

**The neighboring rocks also fell to the digital sea.**

**"the monster is dead!" Sissi.**

**"I don't see it anymore." Jeremy said.**

**The second scanner opened and Yumi got out to help Ulrich to the elevator.**

**"are you alright?"**

**"yeah, but my head still hurts..."**

**"come on."**

**Sissi, Odd and William stood by the tower as Aelita got out.**

**"glad we finally took care of this mess" William said.**

**"you hardly did anything!" Sissi complained.**

**"I had a boulder on my ass!" William shot back. He ignored the bruise that irritated his back.**

**"Aelita, did you finish getting the tower back?" Odd asked.**

**"yes. Xana lost total control of it."**

**"guys..." Jeremy started.**

**"yeah?" William said.**

**"the tarantula isn't dead..."**

**"WHAT!?" they all said.**

**The menacing arachnid climbed up the edge ready for another round. All except Aelita took a stance by the tower. Then the tarantula also took a stance of it's own as it stood on it's hind ligs and held up it's arms in a fighting stance. It meant Business.**

**"this is about to get real messy." William said. And he was right. The tarantula charged first, heading towards them at high velocity. Odd read it's movements and charged to tackle it. The tarantula had trouble gaining it's footing as Odd pushed it back. Then he shot it several times and slammed it to the ground, backing up afterwards. The group was surprised of Odd's unusual strength. But the excitement went downhill as Odd was devirtualized by a headshot. The scanner opened as Odd punched the scanner. Sissi was about to throw her staff, until she was shot down as a result. The scanner opened again and Sissi yelled out "Damn!" and climbed the ladder aftewards.**

**"you're not getting Aelita!" William said as his sword lit up as well as his body.**

**"William, you're-"**

**"I know! I have some of Xana's powers still."**

**He jumped towards the monster with the same velocity as it has and swings his sword down. Another explosion occured and the tarantula began fighting William. It grabs his sword and throws it away and throwing William at Aelita. William was badly hurt and stuck with 2 life points. Then the tarantula shot Aelita's leg causing her to double over. It hurt, alot. Jeremy and the others panicked as the monster came to Aelita and grabbed her by the throat. Then it slammed her to the wall of the tower and everyone cringed.**

**"NO WAY! IT'S TAKING AELITA'S MEMORY!" Jeremy yelled out.**

**"I thought only scyphozoas could do that!" Odd said.**

**"Xana is a lot more dangerous than what we thought." Ulrich concluded.**

**"William, do something!" Sissi said.**

**William's vision was blurred. He saw that Aelita was struggling to destroy the tarantula. She emmited an energy field so she can go for the kill, but it disintegrates from the palm of her hand.**

**"I'm... losing my... powers?" Aelita feared.**

**William lifted his leg to kick the tarantula's head, but he was to slow and it grabbed his foot and swings him in the air. Then it slams him on the ground as he was devirtualized from a terrible beatdown. The third scanner opened for William as he, too, passed out. Jeremy was about to lose it when suddenly another icon popped up in his screen.**

**"Jeremy, look!" Yumi said. He did and noticed a familiar ID on the icon.**

**"wait a minute... THAT'S..."**

_SHAACK! CRACKLING!_

**The tarantula was engulfed in lightning as a sword-like rod pierced it alive. Then a figure landed on top of it, grabbing the sword and swings it to the ground. After putting the rod back on his back, the red electric light protrudes from the hilt.**

**"Xero...?" Aelita and Yumi wondered at the same time.**

**"hold on..." Xero said as his eyes started glowing. The monster got up and it's arms started to open up, revealing a pair of gating blasters that charged up and was ready to fire. As soon as Xero blinked, the monster fired a large ball of fire that sized a semi-truck. Everyone started to panic as Aelita just stood still. Then Xero just deflected it. And like that, the fire was gone. Xero's hand ached due to it's weight but left it alone. Everyone settled.**

**"did he just..." Jeremy stammered.**

**"how the hell was that possible?" Yumi and William added.**

**"whoa, didn't see that coming either." Ulrich said.**

**The tarantula was angry and charged towards Xero. He didn't have time to comprehend to the monster's speed as he was sent flying to the tower. It shook as he crashed on the surface and Aelita blocked her face as he landed next to her. Then he got back up and jabs the monster from mid-air and kicks it to the ground. The tarantula gave him a hard time and the brawl lasted minutes. Finally, the tarantula was about to fall off the edge and Xero found an opening. He leaped towards the monster's head but got shot afterwards and flew back. The tarantula lost it's footing and gained it again just before toppling. Xero thought of something and held back one arm. Then a blue ball of energy surged from his palm and grew bigger by the second.**

**"what is he doing?" Sissi asked.**

**"tarantula..." Xero said.**

**It growled.**

**"your dinner's here." With that, he threw the giant energy ball at it. Unfortunately, like last time, it literally jumps over it. Everyone was dumbfounded.**

**"NOT AGAIN!" they said.**

**"hold on..." Xero pointed up. Aelita looked and ran inside the tower. Everyone else saw what was going to happen and told Xero to get out of the way. Then the tarantula was about to use a power to retreat, but Xero appeared out of nowhere and held the monster in place.**

**"you're staying here, you rascal. You forgot desert."**

**And like that, the fireball came back down and Xero along with the tarantula was obliterated. Aelita came back out of the tower as remorse filled the atmosphere. After returning to the lab, Aelita was hugged by everyone.**

**"so glad you're safe." Yumi and Jeremy said.**

**"At least you didnt get back in pieces." Odd said, recieving a dirty look from Jeremy. "Sorry."**

**"guys, I have to get back home." Yumi said. "It's 10."**

**"all right, let's go home." Jeremy said.**

**The group went to the campus, reminding everyone that they will discuss about the event tomorrow. Yumi was on her way to the house as she ran through the red hand signal. Then a speeding pickup truck stopped from 55 to 0 as Yumi rolled out of the way. Then a girl came out of the truck to look. Yumi got up and saw a girl about Odd's height, as skinny as Odd with red hair.**

**"are you okay, there?" she said.**

**"yeah." Yumi answered.**

**"sorry, b't try being a bit less reckless, 'kay?"**

**Yumi was a bit annoyed by her scratchy-squeaky voice, but she hid her emotion. "Okay, thanks."**

**"no, problem."**

**At that, she got back in the truck and drove off.**

**Yumi wondered for a moment and left to her house.**

**About three miles away from Yumi, a small lab was shown and a computer screen lit up. A platform also lit up and revealed Xero's DNA as a small scanner lit up as well. Then it opened as Xero came out panting. He went to the computer to shut off the lab and exits. He closed the large door and signed his signature on the air panel to lock it. Then the large door was nowhere to be seen. As he went into his house and into his room, his t.v. was on and he jumped into his bed. His head was killing him due to a suicide attempt in Lyoko.**

_"Lyoko's changing... First the monsters, now it's regeons. Xana... what are you up to now?"_

**Back in Sector 5, Lyoko, the core pulsated.**

**Then an arm jabs out of the core.**


	11. Lets see what happens

CODE LYOKO

CODE LYOKO 11: Let's see what happens

**The arm jabs out of the core and some mantas descended to it. Then came out a torso and then the legs. The body came crashing down to the bottom and stood up. Then it became to take it's shape. It wore jet black clothes with red streaks with a large coat that has been cut to columns on the bottom with the eye of Xana on each tip. It wore knee-high boots and had dark and extremely long hair with red highlights. Then it's skin revealed along with it's features. As it opened it's eyes, Xana's insignia replaced it's pupils. It was Xana. Her metallic tentacles protrude from her body.**

**As the mantas reached her, she shot out a red, rather large energy needle and killed one. It was destroyed and the remaining mantas made a low whining noise.**

**"Aw... so cute. I was only testing my body. This is a new start for me, that's all. I didn't intend to hurt you, hehe, but..." She was angry again, and some mantas floated backwards to avoid getting a blast to the head. "...they are really trying my freaking patience right now. All of the spectres I made, the monsters I send, the students and staff and random people that I've controlled...raaaaaaaaaaagh!"**

_SWOOOM!_

**An unlucky wall was simply destroyed due to sudden air pressure. Two other mantas were destroyed in the process and the last one got crushed by a falling rock. It whined loudly and Xana ran towards it to remove the rock from it.**

**"Choose me, and you will be my manta, I will be your rider. And i don't want you getting destroyed, okay?"**

**The manta obliged and nods it's head. Then Xana caresses it as she plants her hand on it's head. Then it started to glow and grow immediately in size as Xana watches in excitement. As it finished evolving, Xana teleports the both of them to the desert region. There behind her was a massive, unique AH-64 Apache helicopter with two pairs of miniguns and rocket tiers on the top of it's wings. The eye of Xana was placed on top of the windshield.**

**"Take me to the tower, my manta." Xana cooed as she latches herself onto the chopper and it flies her to the nearest tower. As Xana comes to the interface, she places her palm on the screen and it read "CODE XANA". Then a huge orange light engulfs Lyoko entirely, again, and everything changed. In the factory, the supercomputer started to short-curcuit and reconfigure itself as the software changed. In Lyoko, it's background changed completely. The area was a large globe with added regions, the sun, and a moon. Throughout both ends of the regions were large, black and orange structures called checkpoint towers. There, anyone were to pass through them to go directly to another region. There nine regions, eight on each point of direction, one in the middle. North was the Polar region, east was the forest region, south was the desert region, west was the mountain region, and the center was downtown. Downtown is where Sector Five relocated, as the Core of Lyoko stood inside a heavily guarded building.**

**Xana came to a hill near downtown. She smiles at the view.**

**"hm, something's missing... Oh yeah!"**

**A screen pops up in front of her and she types in another adjustment and presses enter. Then the helicopter appears and whines.**

**"aw, you like it? I did it with your help, manta." Xana said. The helicopter makes a low whine. "Let's go, I think i'm going to pay a little visit to my friendly adversaries."**

**Back in Kadic, Odd lay on his bed as 3:20am was visual on his cell phone. He wasn't really tire albeit of the aggresive attack of the turantulas. He was thinking about leaving the building. Suddenly, his phone vibrates and Odd wasted no time to answer before the noise woke up Ulrich.**

**"Hello?"**

**No answer.**

**Odd hung up and the phone vibrates again. Odd pressed 'send' and said hello again, only that it was a text.**

_**'Meet me outside'**_

_**unknown**_

**Odd raised his eyebrows as he silently exits the room and reaches the courtyard. Then he recieves another text message.**

_**'Uhn-uhn, i'm at the forest'**_

_**unknown**_

**Odd got a bit annoyed, but the text piqued his interest to find out. He got to the forest and saw a figure standing with a cell phone at hand. As Odd got closer, the figure wasn't there. He stood at the empty area and looked around. Then the figure was suddenly behind him.**

**"hello, Odd"**

**Odd feld a freezing chill down his spine, he could of sworn he heard a somewhat demonic voice behind him. His thoughts were soon forgotten when he felt a hand on his shoulder.**

**"dude?"**

**Odd turned around.**

**"Neural?" Odd remembers.**

**"howdy."**

**"but how, how did you know that I was here?"**

**"duh, I saw ya when you left the school two days ago."**

**"uh..."**

**A flashback off Odd retreating the entrance in his second Lyoko form flashed his mind.**

**"oh, yeah. I forgot."**

**"Heheh."**

**"so what are you doing here? It's 3:30 in the morning."**

**"I wanted to see you."**

**Odd blushed a bit. "Really?"**

**"yeah, I wanted to make sure you were okay, or something."**

**Odd looks away to hide his blush as Neural did the same.**

**"well, that was only part of it..." Neural continues.**

**"what do you mean?" Odd asks.**

**"I... have nowhere else to stay."**

**"why? what happened?"**

**Neural froze. Odd wondered if he asked too many questions.**

**"I... got kicked out."**

**"kicked out?"**

**"yeah, my brother didn't like the way I did things back home."**

**"what'd you do to make him kick you out?"**

**"I, uhh... threw a pot of hot water on his bollocks..."**

**Odd sweatdropped dramatically as he slowly backs away from her. Neural saw this and grabs a hold of him.**

**"are you leavin' me?"**

**"no. Just terrified of that current action..."**

**"sorry, I was pissed at the moment. It sadde-ned me a lot that he went that far to k-ick me out." Neural's voice broke after a few words.**

**Odd's instincts took over as he embraced Neural.**

**"you can stay with me."**

**Neural's body shook in shock.**

**"what? now?"**

**"yeah, come on."**

**"uh... okay."**

**Odd turns Neural and leads her to the campus.**

**"you really mean it, Odd?" Neural asks again.**

**"yeah. I'm not gonna let you sleep on the street." Odd finalized.**

**"thanks, Odd."**

**"no promblem."**

**As the reached Odd and Ulrich's dorm, the door opens up and Odd was shocked to see Ulrich wide awake.**

**"whoa..." Ulrich started.**

**Neural was startled and held a moderate-firm grip on Odd's hand.**

**"buddy..." Odd tried to explain.**

**"let me guess, date?" Ulrich asks.**

**"not exactly..." Neural said.**

**"I'm helping her out, she's hurt." Odd says.**

**"cool, i'll be back. I have to pee." Ulrich walks off.**

**"okay." Odd walks in the room with Neural. Odd prepares the bed for Neural as he stands aside.**

**"you can sleep here."**

**"thanks." Neural lies down as Odd sits on the opposite side.**

**"Odd..."**

**"hm?"**

**"lay by me."**

**A huge question mark pops up on top of Odd.**

**"huh?" Odd thinks out loud.**

**"lay by me, I don't want to be alone." Neural repeats.**

**"uh... okay." Odd blushed again. He walks over to his bed and lies down next to her. Neural smiles.**

**"thank you, Odd"**

**"no problem, Neu."**

**Neural smiles even more at her new nickname as they both fell into a deep sleep.**

**In the bathroom, Ulrich flushed the toilet.**

**"what the hell? What was she?" Ulrich wondered.**

**[past]**

**Ulrich opened the door to the hall, finding Odd with a girl. Suddenly, the eye of Xana vanishes as Neural was startled.**

**"whoa..."**

**[end]**

**"Is she one of Xana's spectres? Did Odd notice? Should I tell?"**

**Ulrich turned off the faucet. He trods to his room in thought. As he opens the door, he notices a protective arm wrapped around Neural. Ulrich smiles.**

**"Nah... Let's see what happens."**


	12. It's on

CODE LYOKO

CODE LYOKO 12: It's on

**Odd woke up to find Neural on top of him. Odd finched as accidently felt one of Neural's boob. Then his skin flushes red as Ulrich suddenly laughs at him.**

**"what the hell, Ulrich!"**

**"what? You look pathetic, man. Why are you so freaked out with her breasts on you?"**

**Odd's skin was scarlet now.**

**"what the f-... I'm not freaked out, and you know it."**

**"oh, yeah you date many girls in this school that you totally remember how to react when touching their boobs, huh?"**

**Neural slowly wakes up, unnoticed.**

**"WHAT? NOT LIKE THAT, BUDDY!"**

**"whatever you say, man... I'm gonna shower. It's Friday, so wash up for a quiz."**

**Realization hits Odd.**

**"damn! Ms. Hertz's testing us again! I didn't study."**

**"It's alright, i'll share my notes with you."**

**"thanks man."**

**"no problem."**

**Ulrich walks out with a towel.**

**"Odd..." Neural says.**

**"morning, Neu." Odd replies.**

**"how'd ya sleep..."**

**"alright, you?"**

**"like a pig, yeah."**

**"you're not a pig."**

**"thanks"**

**"no problem."**

**Neural blushes.**

**"what's wrong?"**

**"your hand, it's on my chest."**

**Spikes comically shot out of Odd's shoulder as he quickly removed his hand.**

**"sorry."**

**"it's all right."**

**7:11am showed itself on the clock as students approached the cafeteria. From the dorms, Jeremy and Aelita exits the hallway to meet Ulrich. They greeted each other and headed towards the cafeteria. Somewhere in the staff driveway, Odd took Neural to where she wanted to go. There, he spots a familiar pickup truck, but it had a top installed.**

**"you brought your truck with you?"**

**"yeah, all my stuff is in there."**

**"that's not good."**

**"it's all good, the truck is locked anyway. So, I should get going. I have to work."**

**"okay. Are you coming back?"**

**"yeah. Is that alright?"**

**"you're always welcome, Neu. Stop by anytime, okay?"**

**"that means alot to me, Odd."**

**With that, Neural reached closer to him and they share a kiss. It lasted a few seconds and Odd liked it. He embraces Neural and she does the same. Then they seperated their lips as a car approached the driveway.**

**"that was a cherry on top. Thanks Odd."**

**"no problem. Later Neu."**

**The engine growls as it turns over and began to back up. Then it left. Odd turns around and heads toward the cafeteria. As Neural drove towards an intersection, a major headache started to overwhelm her. It hurt so much that she slammed the brakes on the green light as a taxi honks at her and drives past. Neural groans in pain as her eyes flashed Xana's insignia.**

**"why are you hurting me..." Neural moaned.**

**"i'm not hurting you, idiot, i'm entering your mind. Did you do what I asked you to?"**

**"yes... but why?"**

**"I want you to gain his trust. No, scratch that, their trust. I want you to befriend him and his friends so that when the time comes, they'll want you."**

**"you want them to use me, as you are doing right now!?"**

**"no, you dumbass, i want them to add you to their group so that when they are short of a warrior, they'll add you to their Lyoko group."**

**"what the fudge pudding is Lyoko?"**

**A semi blares his horn. Neural turns her hazard lights on, causing the semi to pass her as a result.**

**"Lyoko is a virtual world that I, Xana, dwell in. I'm the one that controls people, and/or create them to wreak havoc in order to take control of the world. Lyoko is where Odd and his friends come in to stop me in any way possible. Sometimes they pass, sometimes they fail, miserably... sometimes it's a draw."**

**"so, you want me to get into their group, so that I can manipulate them, and use them for your pleasure?"**

**"not for my pleasure, but for my reasons."**

**"WHAT REASON!? I HAVE TO BETRAY THEM JUST SO YOU CAN SUCCEED IN KILLING THEM!?"**

**"precisely. You're not that dumb. I guess you're smarter than what i gave you credit for."**

**"you're a doggonned turncoat, aren't ya? Why are you doing this to me? Why me?"**

**"because... you kissed Odd"**

**Neural's heart froze. She didn't know that Xana knew about the kiss.**

**"you eavesdropped..."**

**Neural clenched her fists. Nearby pedestrians wondered what was going on in the red pickup truck. One woman noticed Neural's young appearence and the luggage on the back, and picks up he phone to alert the police.**

**"please... don't tell anyone"**

**"are you relying on my mercy? Will you continue to do what I tell you? Not only because of the kiss, but on everything else? Will you?"**

**Burning tears flowed out of Neural's eyes. She felt exploited and terrified due to this horrifying situation.**

**"yeah... I'll do it."**

**"alright. Neural, i'm not going to make your life a living hell, okay? I king of changed a bit, even thought i'm a very sadistic being."**

**"yeah, no shit."**

**"tch, but i'm also different than last time... My software updated itself... I dunno, but, I'm about to find out. I'm leaving you to carry out my task, Neural. Xana, out."**

**Neural's headache faded. It was a red light and the road was clear.**

_"Odd, please forgive me..." she thought solemnly._

**Sirens went off behind her. The police arrived at once when the woman contacted them, saying that she saw a runaway.**

**"oh no, they might think I was running away from home."**

**Neural eyed the woman with the phone.**

**"damn you, woman. Why won't ya tattle-tellin' ass leave me alone!?"**

**The light turned green.**

**"UGH!"**

**Neural floors it. At least 670hp roars and the police chased her. In a moment, she outran them at 117 miles an hour on second gear.**

**"no way in hell, that i'm getting arrested for his actions. Screw you, brother."**

**Not too far away, Yumi was sprinting towards school as she crossed the intersection and made a right. In less than a split second a loud roar approached and a familiar red pickup truck was visible. Yumi stops in realization.**

_ROOOOVOOSH!_

**"WHAT THE HELL!"**

**A substantial force of wind knocked Yumi about three feet backwards. The pickup was driving at least 220mph and Yumi groans as she gets back up.**

**"was that her again? Why was she speeding?"**

**When Yumi was near the school, a police cruiser stops her.**

**"excuse me, miss. Did you happen to see a red truck nearby?"**

**Yumi's body shook. **_"Were they talking about the girl? Forget it... it's not my business. But I'm not gonna lie, i'll give them the wrong direction." _**Yumi thought.**

**"I think it went that way." Yumi pointed towards the opposite side of the school.**

**"thank you, miss." With that, they drove off.**

**Yumi rolled her eyes and enters the campus.**

**About four miles from here, Xero stood by the porch.**

**"This will not start off well. Xana is playing with us... but for what reason?"**

**In Lyoko, Xana knelt in a checkpoint tower. The platform was black and red due to her presence, and some high-leved taranchulas and a megatank were placed outside in surveillance. Her eyes were closed as she meditates and Xana-William walks over to the tower. The monsters moved to the side as he enters the tower.**

**"aw, William. You're here."**

**"sup, Xana."**

**"I wanna tell you something"**

**"what's up?"**

**"do you think i'm bitchy?"**

**Xana-William laughs.**

**"i'm serious, dude."**

**"really, cause to me, you just sold yourself out." he laughed.**

**Xana punched him in the groin and he doubles over.**

**"I need those."**

**"then be useful, William. Now to get serious, I need you to do a task for me."**

**William kneels in front of her.**

**"i'm all ears."**

**"I want you to head downtown."**

**"for what?"**

**"steal some info for me."**

**"okay." Xana-William gets up.**

**"one more thing..."**

**"what?"**

**"Ulrich is going with you."**

**"I can handle things on my own, my lady."**

**"no, you can't."**

**Xana-William tensed.**

**"how?"**

**"the place where i'm sending you to. There's a very tall tower in the center of downtown, which is Sector 5."**

**"so?"**

**"the damn place is heavily guarded with Lyoko's own monsters. There is no way in hell that even my monsters can defeat them. Jeremy must of uploaded the freakin' firewall on that tower."**

**"okay... you got me."**

**"good. Ulrich will meet you there."**

**Xana-William turns around to go to the portal that overlooks downtown, but he stops.**

**"Xana."**

**"hm?" she opened one eye.**

**"you're acting as if you feel for someone. Why is that? Do you actually-"**

**"that... is none of you're concern. Now go."**

**"yeah."**

**Xana-William enters the portal as the tower pulsates.**

**"how the hell did he figure it out? I am feeling for someone... damn... I screwed up... especially sinse i exploited Neural about kissing- AAAGH DAMMIT!"**

_SWOOM!_

**The checkpoint tower trembles to the intensity of the strong wind gust.**

_"WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING? GET IT TOGETHER, XANA! BUT, MAYBE I NEED TO LET DOWN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FEELINGS THOUGH... VIOLENCE IS NOT AN EXCEPTION FOR ME TO LET DOWN, HELL NO. DAMN, I'M REALLY NOT AS GOOD INTO FEELINGS AS BEFORE... I'M CHANGING... FAST. I need to calm down..." _**Xana thinks.**

**"after all, I am Xana. I will Prevail. I won't Fall. I won't Give up. I will not break, if it is the last thing I will do." Xana said silently.**

**"I am Xana"**


	13. Downtown Lyoko

CODE LYOKO

Downtown Lyoko

**Odd was the last student to grab some breakfast. He said hi to Rosa as she gave him a weird look. Odd wondered why but ignored it as he walked over to his table. There, everyone (besides Sissi) chatted about the upcoming quiz.**

**"I can't believe we have another science quiz after a week." Ulrich said.**

**"I know, right? We haven't really covered everything for this semester." Aelita said.**

**"Ms. Hertz said it's only a review from last week." Jeremy told them.**

**"Oh, then I'm alright. I already know some of that stuff." Ulrich sighs.**

**"Man, I have a math test this afternoon." William grumbles.**

**"Me too." said Yumi.**

**"Hey Odd, what's up? You haven't touched your eggs yet." Aelita wondered.**

**A cold chill ran down Odd's spine as he left his daydream.**

**"Oh, right... Sorry." Odd grabs his fork and chews a bit of his eggs.**

**"You're acting strange... Odd, Is everything okay?"**

**Odd's body froze. He tried to hide it, but his body refused to move.**

**"Yeah, it's okay."**

**"Speaking of strange, I got stopped earlier." Yumi said.**

**"What for?" William and Ulrich asked.**

**"I dunno, some cops wanted me to tell them where a truck went..." Yumi's statement caused Odd's temperature to cool. "...because before that, it came speeding over 200 miles an hour and I ended up falling backwards."**

**"That's a fast truck." William compliments.**

**"Did it hit you?" Ulrich asked.**

**"Nah.. I just fell back because of how fast it went."**

**"Heheh. Told ya." William said.**

**"I have good news and bad news. Wanna hear them?" Jeremy said as he closed his laptop.**

**"What is it?" All besides Odd asked.**

**"I regained all of the codes for your outfits and powers."**

**"Really?" They said, including Sissi, who appears out of nowhere.**

**"Yeah. About leveling up, though, you have to defeat a number of monsters in order to transform into a new costume. Plus, you will get a lot stronger and faster."**

**"Could you say that in English, please?" Sissi said.**

**"The more monsters you kill, the more powerful you get." William shortens.**

**"Oh. Cool."**

**"I know, right? I can't wait." Aelita cracks her knuckles.**

**"Huh?" They wondered.**

**"Oh, yeah. Aelita obtained her powers already."**

**"Cool!" They said.**

**"Hey, no fair! We just found out how to get our powers." Ulrich said.**

**"Sorry, Aelita jumped straight to the scanners right after I finished." Jeremy shot back.**

**The bell rang. Everyone threw out their mess and proceeded to their classrooms. William and Yumi said goodbye to the rest of the group as they went to math class. Ms. Hertz stood as sternly as possible when Herve tried to throw a paper ball at Nicholas.**

**"Hey quit it!" He said.**

**"Oh, shut up. The paper didn't even touch you." Herve shot back.**

**"Ha, you admitted that you suck at throwing!"**

**"And you suck at appearance."**

**"At least I don't suck at society."**

**"Boys, you are about to 'suck' at this test if you don't behave!" Ms. Hertz managed. The classroom got quiet afterwards. Odd felt fatigued, he couldn't focus well as she passed out the thin packets before the classmates. When he wrote his name down, Ulrich peeks at his ocky handwriting with a raised eyebrow.**

**"Are you alright buddy?"**

**"Yeah, I'm alright."**

**After some scribbling and minor doodling, Odd closed his packet and falls into a deep sleep. Ulrich wondered if he finished, but couldn't tell since his entire head smothered the packet. Ulrich turned back to his packet just as Ms. Hertz looked up to check if anyone was cheating. Then she eyed the sleeping blonde.**

**"Asleep, huh? That will be an automatic 'F'" she said to herself.**

**Meanwhile, William was shaking his leg as he waited for the bell to ring. Like Odd, he also scribbled and doodled on his packet, but it took him a while longer to complete. His eyes set on Yumi. She taps her head impatiently as she tries to figure out the last problem. Ms. Meyers suddenly appears out of nowhere and snatches his paper off of his desk while her arm rests on his shoulder.**

**"Are you finished?" she whispered.**

**William nods.**

**"Okay, put your head down." she said as she walks away. William didn't expect her to pop up like that, but he puts his head down. Yumi puts down her pencil and lowers her head.**

**Time flew all the way to 11:45pm as the students went to lunch. Odd was fully awake right now, as he went to Rosa with a big smile on his face. But his smile partly drifts away as Rosa said hi to him with a weird look on her face. Odd really wondered what was going on as he sat with his group.**

**"What's wrong, Odd?" Aelita asked.**

**"I dunno, Rosa gave me a weird look again."**

**"Maybe she's trying to figure out why you turned from seldom to happy-go-lucky all of a sudden." Ulrich said.**

**"Speaking of weird, where'd you get the lipstick from?" Yumi wondered.**

**"What lipstick?" Odd was puzzled.**

**Yumi came closer to Odd to smell the thin, glossy scent.**

**"Smells like peach. You dating someone?"**

**Odd froze again. "What? No!"**

**"No way." Jeremy said incredulously.**

**"I never realized there was lipstick on him." Aelita said.**

**"Are you trying to go out with someone, Odd? Who is she?" Sissi pressed.**

**"I'm not trying to go out with anyone!" Odd blushes, "Leave me alone!"**

**"Okay, guys, it's not that serious." Jeremy said.**

**"WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN,**  
><strong>CAN'T KEEP HIS MIND ON SOMETHIN' ELSE<strong>  
><strong>HE'D TRADE THE WORLD<strong>  
><strong>FOR A GOOD THING HE'S FOUND<strong>  
><strong>IF SHE IS BAD-"<strong>

**"SHUT UP, WILLIAM!" everyone said.**

**William seriously had to lay low on Marvin Gaye's The Big Chill album.**

**The school signaled dismissal as the day ended with an awkward moment when they got their test results.**

**"I got a B minus." Yumi said.**

**"I got a B." Ulrich said.**

**"I got a C plus."**

**Everyone got a "WTF" look on their faces. He scored a C for the first time, ever.**

**"How the hell did you manage to pass Ms. Hertz's science test?" Sissi blurted out.**

**"I just circled all C's on every question." Odd said non-chalantly.**

**Everyone just stares at him. Jeremy's computer starts beeping. They tensed.**

**"Well, Xana's on the move." Jeremy says.**

**Xana-William submerges from the huge lake and shakes off the remnants of water from his hair. The first few buildings were a few meters from him as he saw many figures milling about. He began to enter downtown, passing through a force field as it pulsates. They continued to walk, minding their own as Xana-William passes them. Many unique vehicles drove by as some slightly oversized megatanks with weird vertical markings roll around the area.**

**"I guess they're police" Xana-William thought.**

**He was right. An old man tried to slap a girl for calling him "an old piece of crap". The oversized megatank suddenly goes in front of him as it opens up in sections as large turrets protrude out of its sides and legs come out of the middle section, giving it the ability to walk. Inside of it was a patrolman with black clothing with blue streaks. He currently had goggles on with a few icons blinking on and off the lens. Xana-William raised a brow. The man turns around and face the colossal oval-of-a-tank before him.**

**"What the heck do you want, bastard?"**

**"Sir, I'm ordering you to stand down." the patrolman said.**

**"Like hell, I am. She's the one you should tell to stand down, not me" the old man said.**

**"You committed a crime, so you must be stopped."**

**"Try an' stop me!" The old man pulls out a metallic object and swings it at the patrolman, who easily blocks it. Then he disarms him, twists his hand and chokes him under his arms. The old man yells in agony, cursing the patrolman for dislocating his arm. The girl looks at the scene in horror as another old man appears out of nowhere with a rifle.**

**"Why don't you imbeciles leave us be?" He takes aim and fires at the megatank, but it wasn't at all effective. One side of the turret turns back vertically and fires abruptly at the man. The retaliation cause the man to lose a part of his abdomen as it shatters into tiny digital screens. The man groans in pain as he doubles over. Then, the girl slowly turns around to leave. The patrolman enters the megatank with the old man and it closes itself. The turrets also enter the metallic bowling ball as it rolls off to its destination. Xana-William nods in awe as he continues to walk. Then there was static in his left ear.**

**"...llo? Hello?"**

**"What?" He asks.**

**"William" Xana was on the other line.**

**"Yeah?"**

**"Where are you?"**

**"Downtown, why, you miss me?"**

**"Funny. I found a way to get into Sector Five without alerting its self defense. It won't be easy, though, but it'll be effective."**

**"Alright. Now what?"**

**"I'll create pulsations to guide you along the way."**

**"Won't that alert Jeremy and his friends?"**

**"I don't care. If they show up and ruin my plan, I will make sure they suffer."**

**Xana-William tensed. Xana was serious about this mission and she wasn't afraid to quickly decommission the Lyoko warriors. The ground emitted faint rumbles that only Xana-William could hear. Red circles pulsate in a directive manner as he follow its tracks.**

**The group crossed the bridge as they swung themselves to the elevator. Aelita pressed "down" and the door closes. Apon arrival, the door malfunctions again.**

**"Man, I really need to fix this thing" Jeremy complains.**

**"No need." Odd kicks the door and it opens. Jeremy nods as he went to the supercomputer.**

**"You guys get ready, I'm sending you to Sector Five."**

**"Right!" They said. The elevator door blocks the lab as they descend to the scanners. As usual, the girls went it first.**

**"Transfer Yumi, transfer Sissi, Transfer Aelita"**

**"Scanner Yumi, scanner Sissi, scanner Aelita"**

**"Virtualization"**

**Instead of Lyoko scanning them vertically, mini screens come together to form the stand in an empty space.**

**"Where's Lyoko?" Yumi asked. She was in her second form.**

**"Why is everything so empty?" Sissi said.**

**Odd, Ulrich, and William drops near them. Then the open space digitalized itself as downtown was visual. They were now in an alleyway between two short apartment complexes.**

**"Cool, this is downtown?" Odd said in awe.**

**"Oh wow, these buildings are huge!" Sissi exclaims.**

**"Sorry, Lyoko only pops up when all of you are present, unless the cameras don't see you outside." Jeremy explains.**

**"That's why." Aelita finishes.**

**"Now what, Einstein?" Ulrich said.**

**"Xana sent out one of her cronies to steal some vital information from Sector Five. He's on his way there right now. Stop him and devirtualize him."**

**"Okay, I'm ready to kick some ass." William cracks his neck, but he freezes in place once he realizes that Aelita's appearance was strikingly different.**

**"Is it me, or does Aelita have bigger boobs?"**

**Aelita blushes as she covers her breasts in defense. "What!?"**

**"What the heck, bro!" Jeremy shot defensively.**

**"What? I was being honest" William said ridiculously.**

BAM!

**Yumi comically jabbed him in the face.**

**"Are you 'inspector breast' now?" Ulrich blurts out.**

**"I just grew a little bit, I'm a higher level now." Aelita said.**

**Aelita was right and wrong. Her chest grew as well as her abilities and strength. Her hair also grew as it touched her shoulders. Her clothes were loose-fitted which gave her the advantage to move more freely. She was capable of handling moderate situations herself. The only downside, though, her height stayed the same.**

**"Jeremy after all this, you still didn't give her a growth spurt?" William ran on while rubbing his sore cheek.**

**"How the hell am I supposed to control her hormones?"**

**"...good question" William fell silent after that. Aelita giggled a bit. Then Yumi walks off as the rest followed suit. They noticed that there were people walking around. They minded their thoughts as the group did the same... Until Sissi thought out loud.**

**"What the hell are those things?"**

**The rest stopped to look where Sissi was looking. There, the huge megatank that Xana-William saw earlier rolls around the area, patrolling for any signs of criminal activity.**

**"I have never seen a megatank that large before." Yumi answered.**

**"I never saw a mega-whatever to begin with" Sissi said.**

**"They grew...but how?" Aelita wondered.**

**"Xana isn't messing around, at all." Ulrich comments.**

**"That's not Xana's monster." Jeremy butted in.**

**"Say, wha?" Sissi, William, and Odd said.**

**"Huh?" Yumi said.**

**"I put a special firewall on Sector Five before Lyoko changed, and it's finally taking effect." There was an air of success in Jeremy's voice.**

**"So it's one of us?" Odd asked.**

**"Yep"**

**As the group continues to walk, they reached Sector Five and stands near the tallest building in Lyoko, heavily guarded by tarantulas.**

**"They're with us, too. I also programmed them." Jeremy said, and Odd lowered his arm in response.**

**Footsteps.**

**Odd swiveled himself as he caught sight of Xana's predicted cronie, arriving right on time for his first target practice.**

**"Odd, what's wrong, oh!" Aelita takes a stance as she also catches sight of her rival. The rest turned around and grabs their weapons as the unlikely battle was going six-to-one.**

**"All of you are here."**

**"No way... Even though I left, Xana still misses me enough to make a copy. How desperate." William said.**

**"How did Xana manage that?" Sissi thought.**

**"Doesn't matter. He has more life points than all of you combined. Defeat him!" Jeremy informs.**

**"Piece of cake." Odd takes aim.**

**"Hm" Aelita hums.**

**"Alright! All of you can put me up for a challenge. Lets go, I'm ready." Xana-William pulls out his sword, his body glows in the process.**

**Unbeknownst to everyone, Sissi's eyes started to glow. Her staff slowly protrudes spikes from its tip. She raged inside her mind about the fact that Xana-William looked incredibly horrifying besides William himself. That made her want to delete him as soon as possible. Out of nowhere, Sissi was suddenly right above him as she slams the spiked axe-like staff downwards. As if on cue, everyone charged forward. Not to far away, someone stood watch, metallic tentacles glowing red to fire whenever slip-ups occur. William noticed the shining lights from far away and decides to run off in a different direction, knowing that no one watched him leave.**


	14. Xana-William vs group of six equals trbl

CODE LYOKO: Chapter 14

Xana-William vs. group of six equals trouble

**Sissi's second attack sends Xana-William spiraling a few meters away. Sissi's eyes stop glowing and her staff returns to normal. Ulrich was second to attack. He uses super sprint to make an arc towards Xana-William. In time, he manages to block Ulrich's swords from doing so. They both swiped their swords on each other to parry off any incoming blades that threatened to slice off their skin. Later on, Ulrich lost his footing due to Xana-Williams's heavy sword and was sent flying. He got devirtualized. A scanner opens up as he climbs up the ladder.**

**"Ulrich, he finished you off that quickly?" Jeremy informs.**

**"Yeah, I know. It's a pain."**

**Odd tried to keep his arm still as he searches an opening shot. Aelita dodges some of Xana-William's attacks and drop kicks him. He lands on the floor as she gets on top of him.**

**"Hey, what the-"**

**"Keep still, Xana!" Aelita ordered. She raised her arm as a needle-like energy forms on her hand. She was going to finish him.**

**"Wait, you're not gonna-" Xana-William started.**

**"Keep... quiet" Aelita said.**

**"AELITA LOOK OUT-" Jeremy, Yumi, Odd and Sissi yelled.**

**Aelita felt a sudden twist of her arm as her body turns over. She cries in pain as her belly was on the ground and a foot brought her face down with force. Aelita's emerald eyes caught sight of half of Ulrich's face.**

**"Ulrich?"**

**"He's out." A coarse, husky mechanical voice said.**

**"Let go of her!" Yumi sends a powerful jab towards Xana-Ulrich's face. Sadly, he read her movements and managed to stop her by choking her. He lifted her up to tighten his grip to make sure that she loses her breath.**

**"Her life points are depleting!" Jeremy yelled out.**

**"Damn!" Ulrich said.**

**"I told you I could handle it, didn't I?" Xana-William said.**

**"Oh, really? Cause to me, it looked like you were about to lose your face." Xana-Ulrich countered. He was right.**

**"Xana, what will you accomplish from this?" Aelita trembled. Xana-Ulrich brings Aelita's arm down, sending a huge wave of pain on her shoulder. Aelita cried even louder. Jeremy trembles in fear while spectating the horrible inquisition.**

**"Watching you squirm like a mouse." With that, he pushed her arm all the way downwards and breaks it. Aelita shrieks as mini screens replaces her now shattered arm. Everyone winced as Xana-Ulrich laughs evilly. Almost out of breath, Yumi manages to kick his face in order to escape his grip. Xana-Ulrich's head jerk up on contact, then he looks at Yumi. He just frowns at her and tightens his grip once more.**

**"I'm going to kill you, you sly pig."**

**"Damn you... You jerk"**

**Yumi slowly loses her strength and her life points reached 10. Suddenly, Xana-Ulrich's arm shatters and Yumi was devirtualized in the process. He looks around to see who it was until he got hit in the face and was sent flying. Sissi jumps up with him and swings her staff downwards and deforms the ground due to the force of Xana-Ulrich's fall.**

**"Way to go, Sissi!" Jeremy said.**

**The scanners open and Yumi was too fatigued to get up.**

THUD!

**Ulrich heard Yumi fall and descends the ladder to help her up. Meanwhile, Sissi lands on the ground next to Aelita and helps her up.**

**"Are you okay, Aelita?"**

**"Yes, I'm fine-" Aelita looks over Sissi in horror. Before she knew it, Xana-William was about to swing his gigantic sword. Suddenly, a barrage of arrows knocks the sword off his hand as Odd tackles him to the ground. In anger, Odd repeatedly punches him causing him to deliberately lose a majority of life points.**

**"Whoa, Odd is beating the crap out of him" Yumi said.**

**"Huh?" Ulrich said.**

**Yumi points to the screen and Ulrich takes a look.**

**"William is down to his last life points." Jeremy mentioned.**

**Odd raised his hand for a final attack as his claws protrude even longer. Xana-William raises his arms to cover his face. Suddenly, a huge laser shoots across the area that almost devirtualized Odd in the process. Then William appears out of nowhere as he dodges four long tentacles that threatened to decimate him. As Aelita and Sissi looks at the scene, their eyes grew wide. Odd turns around and a figure suddenly lands on top of him. Jeremy, Ulrich and Yumi gasps as they see the eye of Xana on the entire red icon. Then Jeremy gasps in horror.**

**"XANA!"**

**"WHAT!? THAT'S XANA?" All except Odd yelled out.**

**Xana-William brushes himself and picks up his sword. Odd looks at the figure with interest. Long strands of reddish-black hair surrounds him, a long dark coat brushes his arms and red eyes of Xana is staring daggers at him. Two soft objects were pressing onto his chest and he raises his hands and feels them. Then a soft gasp was heard as a realization dawned on him. There was a girl on top of him, she had Xana's insignia, she looks as if she wants to murder him, aaaaand he's feeling her breasts.**

**"I'm dead" Odd mumbled vaguely.**

BAM! CRACK!

**Everyone else (including Xana-William) winced. Xana gets up to cover her chest while blushing madly. She growls in disgust as she turns around with all eyes on her.**

**"Xana is... a girl?" Aelita said slowly.**

**"WHAT THE HELL!?" They exclaimed.**

* * *

><p>Any thoughts on how the story is going right now? Review if you want.<p> 


	15. Explenation and Interrogation

**CODE LYOKO**

**Explanation and Interrogation**

**Xana was still completely stunned from Odd's actions. Meanwhile, she accidently caused a spark on the super computer, causing Jeremy to become immensely electrocuted and fly off of his chair. Aelita and Sissi got up and took a stance, causing Xana to hold up her hand.**

**"Wait, wait. This mission was a failure. I kinda knew that I shouldn't of shown up. Damn, how stupid am I?"**

**Everyone, besides Xana-William, dropped their jaws. Yumi was first to break the several minute silence.**

**"What the hell is the matter with you?"**

**"Nothing of your concerns. William, lets go. We've already lost the chance of even reaching that info."**

**Sissi stepped up, suddenly in front of Xana. "Just wait a damn minute! You can't just waltz in here, shoot the damn area in half, slap the crap out of Odd, and expect to leave without any signs of consent! That is not how things go, you idiot!"**

**Xana crooked her eyebrows, obviously annoyed by Sissi's rants. "Wow, your behavior never gets old, Sissi. Always a drama queen at every single occasion."**

**Sissi's frown deepened, raising her staff in the process. "Says you, who always manipulate and control people just so you can reach a goal that'll never, EVER happen."**

**Sissi's cold reply angered Xana. "You son of a-"**

**BAM!**

**Xana flew sideways from the powerful swing of Sissi's staff. Her tentacles balanced her fall and took aim. "Nice one. Too bad it wasn't a home run."**

**Sissi charged towards Xana, but she read her movements and grabs hold of the staff. Then she lifts her up and slams her to the ground, devirtualizing her.**

**Sissi banged on the scanner as she exits the opening doors. "Crap!"**

**"Anyone else willing to test their courage? No? Okay. Jeremy, I got a small message for you."**

**Jeremy was still semiconscious as Ulrich and Yumi helped him onto his seat.**

**"Jeremy!" Xana snapped.**

**"Huh?" he mumbled.**

**"Would you hold on, dammit? You nearly fried all of his brain cells." Yumi countered.**

**"Thank you for the damn unwanted information." Xana said irritably.**

**"Xana, Yumi is quite a feisty one. I suggest that you should NOT mess with her." Xana-William warned.**

**"You should listen to him, Xana. Or your dead body will." Yumi threatened.**

**"We will see, you dumb **_tawagoto_**, we will see."**

**Yumi's temple throbbed at Xana's Japanese insult. "Your a bitch-"**

**"Yumi, forget it." Ulrich said as her held her down.**

**"Xana, what was your message?" Jeremy asked, suddenly serious.**

**"Awake now, tiger?" Xana mused.**

**"Tell me."**

**"The message is, I'm alive. I am capable of doing things beyond yours and Frantz Hopper's theories and researches. I'm turning into a human being. Don't know yet, but soon. And once I have, I will be able to do the impossible. You may see me outside your bedroom window, for example. And I promise you, I will not be a nice little girl for you. I will make most of your lives a living hell for my reasoning."**

**"You made our lives a living hell from the start, dumbass!" Yumi corrected.**

**"I'm talking, you imbecile."**

**"I'm sorry, I don't understand bullshit."**

**Xana ignored her. "As I was saying, before our little gaijin rudely interrupted me, brace yourself. As that is going on, I suggest that you should keep your panties and your friends intact. That goes for all of you. Yumi, Odd, Ailita, Ulrich, Sissi, that new friend of yours, and that new girlfriend of Odd's..." Everyone was a bit shocked at that and Odd lost his cool. "...and everyone else. Also, I have a confession to make..."**

**"Huh?..." they asked.**

**"Xana has a confession? That's something out of the ordinary." Aelita and Yumi said in unison.**

**"Very true, very true. Now, Jeremy..." Xana said.**

**"Eh?"**

**"...thanks a LOT for screwing up my freaking EMOTIONS, JEREMY! NOW I'M REALLY TRYING TO CALM MYSELF FROM BEING A COMPLETE PSYCHOPATHIC BIATCH AND RUINING EVERYONE ELSE'S LIVES BECAUSE OF THAT! I WOULDN'T REALLY GIVE A SHIT THEN, BUT AS OF TODAY, THE PAIN OF THEM RICOCHETS BACK TO ME! AND AS A RESULT, I CANNOT STAND IT!"**

**Everyone was speechless from Xana's mini story. Odd looked ready to kill. Then Jeremy came back from his dumbstruck daydream. "Message received..." he said, taken aback by Xana's confession.**

**"You call THAT a short message?" Odd asked in a deep tone.**

**The Lyoko ground started to rumble. Xana, Odd, Aelita and Sissi turned around. A gigantic megatank towered all of them, opened up and aimed a pair of giant turrets at all of them.**

**"Oh, shit." Xana cursed.**

**"What, the hell, is that?" Sissi asked.**

**"I think I'm gonna call that thing... The Omnitank." Odd concluded, interested in the structure of the gargantuan bowling ball.**

**"Guys, get the hell out of there!" Jeremy yelled.**

**Too late. Xana managed to leave with a shattered left cheek, Xana-William got devirtualized along with everyone else, except for Odd. He stood there as the Omnitank stood there, watching him. The eyes stared at Odd without any signs of emotion. Then it turns away and rolls back to the entrance of the tower. Jeremy sighs and Xana stared at Odd from a few meters away.**

**"I was right to pick him. Lets go, manta." The helicopter obliges as the thundering rotors lifted her to safety. Odd heard them but her couldn't see anything. The sky was empty with floating digital mini screens.**

**"Einstein?" Odd asked.**

**"I got you." Jeremy pressed a button and Odd, Sissi and Aelita returned to the scanners.**

**"Xana's out, again." Ulrich said.**

**"Yeah. One part about her being a girl threw us all off. But the other part about Odd..." Jeremy trailed off as everyone eyed him.**

**"Uh... Am I in trouble or something?" Odd asked defensively.**

**"No, unless you want to confess about what the hell Xana meant by your 'girlfriend'."**

**"And what does Xana have to do with this?" Yumi wondered.**

**"I dunno!"**

**"Hm..."**

**Ulrich just then realized it. That girl, Neural. He noticed that the eye of Xana flashed on her right when he opened the door. She had a tight grip on Odd's arm.**

**'**She must be Xana's apprentice.' **Ulrich said mentally, but he shook the thought out of his mind and decided to forget about it, but it was too late. Yumi saw the way he was thinking and steps closer to him.**

**"You okay? You look like you know something." She said.**

**Odd's eyes widen, knowing that Ulrich was with him when he brought Neural over.**

**"You got me. Odd brought his girlfriend over to our dorms because she had nowhere else to stay."**

**"Is that true?" Yumi asked Odd.**

**"Yep. It was my idea since she was hurt. I didn't wanna let her down, so she stayed the night."**

**"No wonder you had lipstick on you." Jeremy said out of nowhere.**

**"Stay at your little computer over there!" Odd yelled, irritated.**

**"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Jeremy countered back.**

**"But that still doesn't explain what Xana has to do with this..." Yumi repeated.**

**"Can we talk about this later..." A voice said.**

THUD.

**Everyone looked to their rights and lefts as Aelita and Sissi panted since they had to carry a knocked-out teen from the scanners.**

**"...because we seriously need to bring this dead weight to the dormitory, like now!"**


	16. Lingering Danger

CODE LYOKO

Lingering Danger

**After taking hours of carrying William to his house, the group returned to Kadic and trodded quietly to their dorms. They arranged for a chat the next day. Odd, he stayed up until Ulrich was fully asleep. Then he crept out of the dorm and into the courtyard. On cue, his phone vibrates as it indicates a text.**

_Odd, can u please come outside?_

_unknown_

**Odd walked towards the forest to the same area as before. After stopping for a moment, a pair of arms wraps around him.**

**"Neural?" Odd guessed.**

**"right, you are. Hey, Odd."**

**Odd turns to her, noticing the feral mess of her hair.**

**"what happened to you?"**

**"got into a tussle. I'm alright, though."**

**"are you sure? Who did you fight?"**

**"some old lady. She thought I was reaching for purse when I dropped my phone near her." Neural raised her flip phone, showing the diagonal crack of her screen.**

**"okay, then."**

**A sudden headache surges in Neural's brain. She holds her head with one hand as she tugs Odd with the other.**

**"odd, can I use the bathroom?"**

**"okay." They went into the girl's dorms and towards the hygiene room. Odd waited outside as Neural went into one of the vacant stalls. Her headache intensifies as Xana began to enter her mind again.**

**"ahh, what do you want now, Xana?"**

"nothing. Are you with Odd?"

**"yeah, why?"**

"good. I want the group to notice you."

"WHAT!?" **Neural said mid-yell. Odd could of sworn he heard it but shrugs it off since he couldn't find out who.**

"give up your position. So you can find a way to gain their trust."

**"I don't want to cause friction in their friendship, you dolt."**

"I don't want you to be an empty box left out, you idiot. You know what to do. I trust you. Just see what happens and I know that 100% guesses are that they will accept you, eventually."

**"eventually? What the hell do you mean by 'eventually'?"**

"you'll see, my dear Neural, you'll see."

**"I am not your 'dear', you rat-hole."**

"fair enough. Just do what I asked. You'll be fine."

**"fine?"**

"yeah, just fine."

**"let's hope that lie doesn't around them..." Neural lowered the toilet seat just as Xana left her mind. Outside, Odd was trying to beat the last level of Snakes on his phone. He pumped up his fist just as he reached a high score that topped the regional leaderboard.**

**"yes!" he hissed.**

**Meanwhile, Anais appeared around the corner with a towel around her waist.  
>Her body suddenly tensed just as she heard a noise. She began wondering what that noise was until she turned a corner. There, Odd started doing his happy-dance before noticing that she was there. Odd halted abruptly before sticking his hands in his pocket. Anais just crosses her arms.<strong>

**"what are you doing here, Odd?" she asked.**

**"just enjoying my success." he replied, looking at his phone.**

**"what success?" Anais pressed.**

**Odd slightly rolled his eyes. "I was playing a game, and won."**

**Anais's eyebrow twitched. "Really?"**

**"yep. Pretty cool game when you're bored. Passes the time."**

**"I see, since it's half passed three."**

**Odd's face fell in realization. Anais saw it and held up her hand and tapped his shoulder.**

**"no worries. I won't tell Jim, as long as you two don't get caught by anyone else."**

**Odd sighed in relief, "Thanks, Anais." but Odd's body froze from what Anais said earlier. **'How did she know I was with someone?'

**Anais patted his shoulder again before removing it. Then she enters the hygiene room. Neural finished washing her face and turned off the water faucet. She stared at her reflection for a few moments.**

'what will they say if they see me?' **Neural pondered. Xana's insignia flickered in her pupils**. 'Especially since I'm Xana's posse right now... how'll they react?'

**Anais entered the room and froze. Neural saw the newcomer's reflection and swivels herself. Anais narrowed her eyes.**

'must be one Odd's waiting for...' **Anais thought.**

'I think I'm screwed.' **Neural thinks as she waves her shaky hand. "Hi, there."**

**"hey." Anais says as she opens the first stall, "You should probably get some sleep. It's half passed three."**

**"alright, thanks for the r'minder." Neural said. Anais entered the stall as Neural exited the hygiene room. Then she saw that Odd stood there, blanched completely.**

**"Odd, is somethin' the matter?"**

**Odd's arteries managed to regain it's blood supply as his body turned back to it's normal skin tone. "Nothing."**

**"are ya sure? Ya seemed like you saw a ghost."**

**"nah, there's no ghosts in Kadic." Odd grinned.**

**"okay." Neural yawned and Odd took her to his and Ulrich's room. He opened the door, revealing a little bit of light on a sleeping brunette and let Neural in first. After closing the door, both of them climbed on Odd's bed and fell asleep within minutes.**

**The next morning...**

**Xero eyed the disaster that lay before him. One building was completely destroyed by an explosion that he had yet knew about and another building was battered and slouched to the side like The Leaning Tower of Pisa.**

**"what the hell happened over here?" he wondered.**

**A passerby appeared next to Xero and eyed the damage. "Wow, they still didn't fix it. How are they going to get back to work if the freaking building isn't fixed."**

**Xero turned around towards the woman. "Wait, did you see what happened?"**

**She gave him a half-stare. "Uh-huh. A band of misfits came around here and got attacked by two people."**

**"Who were they, those two?"**

**"I don't know, creepy people, I guess."**

**Both of them heard screaming from other people. Xero turned and gaped at the sight. Two small, round-shaped monsters rammed a few cars out of the way and sped ahead, aiming towards Xero. Then they came towards a lowered tow truck and used the back as a ramp. Everything was slow motion. The tanks launched themselves in the air and opened their bodies. Their exterior and interior were cased with cannons and their four legs had wheels in them, allowing them to move in all directions. **

**As time came back to normal again, Xero couldn't register to what was happening until one of the cannons banged onto him. The weight of it lurched him several feet backwards. The woman screamed as she scrambled backwards to a pole. The monster aimed its cannon at the woman. Xero saw this and wrestled his way upwards and picked up the monster. With a twist, he lapidated the monster to its companion.**

THRASH!

**"Xana's never desisting to attacking out of nowhere, huh?" Xero takes a stance, "Looks like you two need a lesson taught to you."**

**The monsters made a deafening crash to another building. Then the second one regained it's grip onto the ground and charged towards Xero. The first one followed suit. Xero snatches a bolt from his rods and lobs it at the monsters. The bolts explode on contact and the first monster weaves around and transforms into its humanoid state. Xero ducked and flipped and rolled away from it's attacks and lands a walloping punch on its face. The now defaced monster staggers backwards and pulls out an electric sword.**

'oh, damn...' **Xero thought. Then, he grabs both of his cylindrical hilts and the reddish energy came out of them. He takes a stance again, this time his right arm held the sword upright to his left; his left arm went to his right and held the sword horizontal in front of his face. This is his signature stance, since it made it seem as if he held his swords the shape of a cross.**

**"chess is in session. Make your move."**

**On cue, the monster jumps up and swipes his sword downward. Xero came to a deadlock and struggled to keep his footing together from the monster's weight. The first monster, also humanoid, ran towards Xero in breakneck speed. Xero parried the deadlock and jumps back just before...**

BAM! CRASH! BOOM!

**Shrapnel and debris disarranged everywhere as the monsters crashed into a building from the half-baked attack. Xero eyed them in awe as they restood themselves and aimed their cannons at him.**

**"think that's gonna work?" Xero said.**

**In response, they fired a weird looking blast at him. Xero cross-swiped them. Then his sword began to dissolve from his hands.**

'the hell...'

**They fired again and Xero back-flipped out of the way. The trajectiles flew by after he went missing from their line of fire, forming a horizontal vortices due to the high velocity of its spin. Xero landed on top of a light pole and eyed them. Suddenly, they jerked around and homed in on Xero.**

**"what the hell!?" Xero jumped.**

WHOOPOOSHHK! THUNK!

**The trajectiles disintegrated the light pole where Xero had previously stood. Then he slammed to the ground, his face cracked from the hard impact.**

**"damn... Xana really upped their weapons. They meant business." Xero said as a few contours of blue light trailed from his shoulder to his hand, forming a small, blue energy ball. Then he fired it.**

**The monsters' force field blocked it.**

**"defense, too, huh?"**

**The monsters was suddenly next to him, lashing out in several directions as Xero wrangled to block them all. Then they aimed for Xero's face as their cannons made a low humming noise.**

'oh, shit' **Xero thought vaguely.**

**The humming sound increased in frequency as Xero became bounded in chains.**

**"fighting dirty, aren't you?" Xero said as he tried to free himself from the death trap. Then his energy contours spiked out and slashed the chains in half. As the cannons increased it's frequency, the barrels lit up for a power shot. **

**Time froze again as he began deliberate a plan to this situation. As time came back to normal again, Xero grabs both of the cannons and begin to gyrate himself. The monsters were forced upon Xero's death grip, thus creating a massive whirlwind.**

**"Simon says, check!" Xero implanted his non-pivoting foot into the crust as he stopped his spin. Then the monsters suddenly crashed upon each other, creating a booming sound that reverberated the entire downtown. Then the sound of the cannons ringed across the area as they were at its peak of firing. Xero took this as a sign of rebellion and impaled the cannons into the monsters' abdomens. They then protrude an emergency protocol turret and shoots Xero in the face. But the shot wasn't enough to make even a crack on his face. Xero closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them. There, the limbi of his eyes glowed purple, causing the now purple contours to trail towards Xero's hands. Then it transfers into the cannons to maximize their cannons. The monsters' attempts to escape is futile as Xero said those last two words...**

**"monsters, checkmate."**

MBEEOW!

**Xero simply abrogated them as a shockwave erupted around them. Then he dropped the now destroyed cannons and walks towards the woman who was unconscious after a while. Xero kneels down and taps her shoulder twice. She wakes up from the touch and eyes him.**

**"they're dealt with."**

**The woman nods and gets up. "Thanks for saving me."**

**"You're welcome."**

**The woman makes a run for it as Xero turns away.**

'Xana's gotten a lot brighter than I thought...'

SHING!

**Xero couldn't comprehend to what was going on until the stabber twisted his blade in an attempt to cause more harm. But he failed. Xero back-handed him, blasting his head to smithereens. After he fully shattered to pieces, Xero slowly pulls out the sword and stabs it to the ground.**

'whoever the hell that was, he sure isn't brighter than what he's given credit for. Otherwise, he would of been killed by the lingering danger caused by Xana's monsters themselves.'

* * *

><p>Reviews wanted. Tell me how you like it!<p> 


	17. Imminent Threat

CODE LYOKO: Chapter 17

Imminent Threat

**Xero's scanner opened a few minutes later. It was half passed seven in the morning as he shuts off his lab. After signing his name on the screen and locking the door, he made his way towards the street and towards Kadic.**

'Aelita and Yumi needs to hear this.' **Xero thought.**

**In Kadic, Odd was the first to wake up... or not. Odd sighed as Ulrich eyed him with interest.**

**"this is the second time, Odd. You really like her, don't you?" Ulrich said.**

**"what makes you say that, buddy?" Odd asks.**

**"It's obvious. Also different. I think that you two might end up together. Besides all the other girls you dated."**

**"you never know."**

**"are you saying you're gonna dump her?"**

**"no, I'm not saying that. Just... Uh... You'll see."**

**Kiwi stirred.**

**"keep dreaming, Kiwi" Ulrich rubs Kiwi's back. "And yeah, I wonder what'll happen next."**

**"uh-huh. What about you and Yumi?"**

**Ulrich froze. "Uh... We're good."**

**Odd eyed the slight bruise on his shoulder blade. "You sure about that?"**

**"nch... What this?" Ulrich points at it? "This is nothing."**

**[past]**

**"are you sure you want it to be that way?" Ulrich asks while leaning on a tree.**

**Yumi nods. "Yeah, close friends. It's for the best of us."**

**"alright then, Yumi. We have each other."**

**"yeah, we do."**

**Yumi and Ulrich held each other in a tight embrace. It felt good and it lasted a few moments...**

**...Until Yumi seized his arm and twists it backwards to a deadly position. Ulrich's eyes looked as if they were to pop out as Yumi lowered herself onto him.**

**"but" she started, a deadly grin forming her features, "If I catch you with another girl, Ulrich, you will wish that you were never born."**

**Ulrich saw a dark and menacing aura blanketing Yumi as if it were her snuggie.**

**"I'd rather die."**

**Yumi lets go. "Good." Then they hug each other once more and shared a kiss.**

**[end]**

**"huh, I guess you're right."**

**Neural stirred. She opens her eyes and looks at Odd, then Ulrich.**

**"'sup" Ulrich greeted.**

**"morning." Odd said.**

**"mornin', Odd. I'm n't feel'n so well, righ' now..." Neural slurred, her accent getting thicker in each syllable.**

**"Whoa... Now that I've realized something, where are you from?" Ulrich wondered.**

**"Oregon"**

**"Oregon?"**

**"America, buddy." Odd corrects.**

**"Oh, Oh okay."**

**"slower, much?"**

**"shut up!"**

**"Ulrich, could y' please lower yo voice?" Neural murmured while she rubbed her head.**

**"sorry."**

**"thanks..."**

**"are you alright Neural? You look like you had a horrible dream, or something."**

**"as a matter of fact, I did. But I di'nt get a chance t'-"**

**The door swings open and in rushed Yumi, Aelita, Jeremy, Sissi and William.**

**"Ulrich, Odd, we have to go, right now! There's something going- eh?"**

**Everyone froze and half of them shifted their gaze to Odd and Neural. That wasn't very great timing since Neural is on top of Odd on his bed. Yumi soon breaks the few tense silence.**

**"Odd, care to explain?"**

'oh, damn.' **Ulrich thought.**

**Neural was soon red-faced. Then she gets up and climbs off the bed. "I'm sorry, I hafta go."**

**She retrieved her clothes and walks past the group and out the door. Odd had a wary look on his face, but when he looks down, he noticed that she forgot something. Then he picks them up and darts out the door.**

**"Neural, wait!" Odd ran past the group and towards the courtyard.**

**A moment passed. "Who was that girl?" Sissi blurted out.**

**"Odd's friend." Ulrich simply said.**

**"OR should I mention, NEW girlfriend." William concluded. Aelita frowns at William.**

**"what?"**

**Odd managed to catch up to Neural and call out to her.**

**"Neural!"**

**She slows to a stop near the parking lot entrance and slowly turns to Odd.**

**"jeez, where'd your legs come from?" Odd commented cautiously. "And why did you run away?"**

**Then he looks up to a teary-eyed Neural glaring down at him. Odd took a step back, then slowly steps forward.**

**"why are you crying?"**

**"Odd, they freaked me out..."**

**"my friends? How?"**

**Neural cocks her head to the side. "They're your friends?"**

**"yeah."**

**"I didn't know. I thought they were gonna beat the crap out of one of us or something."**

**"no way that'll happen. Why would you think that?"**

**"one of them gave me a mean eye." Neural shifted uncomfortably.**

'either Yumi or Sissi must of done that' **Odd grumbled mentally. "They wouldn't hurt you."**

**"ya sure?"**

**"yeah."**

**Odd finally reached in front of Neural and hugged her.**

**"Odd?"**

**"yes?"**

**"I gotta go, I'm gonna be late."**

**"oh, yeah." Odd held up her flip-flops, "You forgot these."**

**Neural went wide eyed. Looking down, she noticed that she was barefoot with a few small bruises. "Crap... didn't realize."**

**Odd knelt down and carefully slipped her flip-flops on. Then he gets back up.**

**"thanks, Odd." Neural looks down.**

**"what's wrong?"**

**"nothin'. I gotta go." Neural turns and runs off, before Odd grabs her arm and pulls her back.**

**"Odd-" A kiss.**

**They kept their lips together for a few seconds before parting. Neural blushed furiously and Odd kept his face a living strawberry.**

**"why'd you do that?" Neural asks.**

**"It came to mind. We did that last time before you left." Odd concluded.**

**"..." Neural nods, rubs her arm and runs off, leaving Odd to ponder onto what was going on in her mind. Neural got in her truck and jabs the key into the egnition, but slouches abruptly when Jim was in sight. He held his hand on his chin, thinking about the truck.**

**"this is new. I never saw a pickup truck that big here in Kadic." Neural sharply held her breath as he walks up to the truck and stares at the blue, circular logo. "Ford, huh. I wonder who owns this truck." Jim shrugs. "Oh, well." He walks away and Neural exhales deeply.**

**"close effin call." The engine turns over and snarls when idle. Then her head began pounding with waves of pain. "Owww! Not you again!"**

_"what?"_

**"what do you want?"**

_"answers. Why did you run away?"_

**"they came outta nowhere. I didn't know what to do."**

_"It was simple. Introduce yourself, dumbass."_

**"easy for you to say, Xana. They came at the worst possible time, ever."**

_"no one told you to sleep on him. Actually, how DID you end up on top of him?"_

**"how am I supposed to answer THAT?"**

_"just as easy as your breasts pressing onto his chest, moron. Also just as easy as accepting his lips, don't you think? Jeez, you're not that bright at times, you know that? I'm surprised that Yumi didn't kick you off of Odd. I'm also surprised that none of his dates didn't catch you two, together. It's a curveball, really."_

**Neural froze. "What did you just say?" The truck growled slightly when Neural's foot slightly pressed the gas pedal. She lightens her foot.**

_"my, my, my. Odd didn't tell you?"_

**"tell me what? What '**DATES**' are you talking about? What did Odd forget to tell me while we talked?"**

_"TALKED!? HA! You only come straight midnight to sleep with him. I never actually seen a conversation between you and Odd since the day you two first met, in an ICE-CREAM STAND!"_

**"Xana... SHUT THE HELL UP!" Neural stomped the gas pedal and raised the engine's rpm as its mufflers amplified the **ROAR** all the way across the campus. Nearby students stopped and wondered where the sound came from, while middle schoolers looked frightened at the new menacing sound. Odd noticed it, too, but his mind was on the same platter as the middle schoolers were.**

_"who the hell, Neural, do you think you are talking to?"_

**"who the hell do I think I'm talking to? How about you ask yaself that question. **_YOU_** are the one who **_FORCED _**me into this shit. **_YOU _**are the one who **_MANIPULATED _**me into tryin' to talk the group into **_LETTING _**me into their group. **_YOU _**are the one who **_THINKS _**that one day you will actually pravail with the world in your hands. So who the hell do I think I'm talking to? Try reading between the lines of- A Cold-Hearted Bitch!"**

**In response, the dashboard sparks out electricity and the passenger seatbelt rips off and chokes Neural. She tried to pry off the belt from crushing her trachea. As retaliation, the seatbelt lurched forward and smashed Neural's body onto the steering wheel, twice. Neural nearly passes out, but her gag reflex kicked in as a lump of bile threatened to escape her esophagus. The windshield cracked a bit due to Neural's head ramming into it. Neural began to cry. She felt hurt, used, betrayed. Xana made sure that she made Neural remembered her place.**

**Neural sobbed for a several minutes until her thighs were drenched in her tears. Xana sighed nonexistently.**

_"you BETTER cry, Neural. Cause if you didn't, I would of dismembered your esophagus."_

**Then the electricity surged back to the dashboard as Xana began to override the truck.**

_"you're too screwed up to drive. I'll take you, since I have nothing better to do as of now."_

**The transmission switched to drive as the truck lurches itself out of the parking lot and roars towards the direction of where Neural's job is.**

**Odd came back to his and Ulrich's just to find all daggers (exept Yumi and Ulrich, who looked down) on him.**

**"uh, am I in trouble?"**

**"not exactly, but-"**

**"JUST WHO THE HELL WAS THAT GIRL ON TOP OF YOU!?" Sissi screamed as she successfully interrupted Jeremy.**

**"Ulrich already told us. Is there anything you need to add on?" Yumi said. Odd's jaw fell to the ground.**

**"I told them what I knew." Ulrich chided sympathetically.**

**"ah, well. She's my friend, Neural Sailing." Odd said.**

**"how did you two meet?" Aelita seemed interested.**

**"at an ice-cream stand. She kept on giggling at me, though..."**

**"how come?" Aelita and Yumi asked.**

**"my second form. She compared me to Einstein here, saying that I have good technawlagy."**

**Ulrich dropped to the floor with a laughing fit as Aelita and Jeremy shot up.**

**"**WHAT!?**"**

**"why would you run out of the school in Lyoko form?" Sissi asked.**

**"why **ELSE **would I? I was bored."**

**"so you would show off?" Jeremy asked.**

**"no! I rushed. But I ended up talking to her for a few minutes and I was shocked that she had a truck and all. She had a job, too-"**

**"wait a minute, did you say that she had a truck?" Yumi asked, taken back as she just found out that it was all to true.**

**"yeah"**

**"oh."**

**Of all times, Jeremy's laptop had chosen this to start beeping. Jeremy lifts his laptop and opens it. Then it stops beeping.**

**"huh? This is wierd. Is Xana really attacking?" **

**"Probly not, since it stopped." Aelita said.**

**"Let's head to the factory, just in case."**

**"why?" Sissi asked.**

**"I dunno, but..." Jeremy stretched, "... let's get going."**

**But they turn to a sleeping William, who was playing with Kiwi until they both fell asleep. Their faces were comically expressionless as they formulated a way of waking up the lazy moron. But coincidence decided to take over with an unexpected arrival.**

BAM! CRASH!

**"what the hell!?" Yumi and Sissi wondered in unison.**

**Outside, in the courtyard, Jeremy carried a vending machine behind his back. A many meters across from him, Xero stood with a somewhat surprised look on his face. Nearby students eyed them with interest and wonder, while Tamiya and Millie ran through fleshy traffic to get the scoop of their lives (supposedly).**

**"Tamiya, are you getting this? Film it!" Millie demanded.**

**"yep, we got it. Start in ten, nine..." Tamiya chimed.**

**Xero was apprehensive when he saw the glaring lenses from the sunlight. They were filming, Xero knew, from the way the lens grew and shrank for its focus on him and Jeremy. Speaking of him, he looked ready to toss that thing. Xero stood in place for the hundred pound object.**

**Jeremy wanted to kill him. Despite of the spectators, he didn't care if he got suspended, nor did he care about the real Jeremy's reputation. Xero screwed him up and almost killed him. Now he's about to get revenge. Venomous, malicious revenge.**

**His grip on the machine increased tenfold.**

'ah crap... here goes...' **Xero thinks. Then he takes in his signature stance, this time, his body is his own personal weapon. Literally.**

**Jeremy took this as a sentence to death and launched it with a groundbreaking kick. The crowd roared with 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the intensity of the kick that sent the vending maching flying 90 miles an hour towards Xero.**

**"holy crap! Look how fast it's going! At this rate, that weird-looking dude is a goner, for sure!" Millie exclaimed.**

**At that same moment, the Lyoko group dashed out the door as the machine utterly **_whooshed _**passed them.**

**"WHOA!/HOLY CRAP!?" the group eyed the machine as it rocketed towards a now serious Xero.**

**His right arm went back as it neared and jabs abruptly forward.**

BOOFWAM!

**His fist collided with the machine as it rippled immensly, causing it to implode and release a massive, dust-covered shockwave that blinded everyone and everything.**

**"WHOA-" Millie and Tamiya coughs as they flee from the dust-covered air as well as everyone else.**

**Yumi couldn't believe this. Why was Xero fighting again? But as the smoke cleared, she looked to her left and spotted Jeremy. Jeremy's clone.**

'the hell? So he escaped the infirmary just to look for Xero? It took him that long just to find him just a few feet from there? Or did Xero unexpectedly run into him?' **Yumi's thoughts faded when Jeremy's clone charged towards Xero in a hellbent manner.**

**"what the heck is going on here!?" Jeremy exclaimed.**

**"Tamiya! Tamiya! Over here!" Millie was already standing near the fight scene as Jeremy's clone's foot nearly smashed her brains apart. "Whoa! Did you see that?"**

**"I got it all! Keep going!"**

**"Okay, okay okay! Right now, some mysterious person is totally getting his ass kicked by Jeremy, who surprisingly packs some massive skills of Tae Kwon Do!"**

**Xero near-missed a sideswipe of Jeremy's nasty roundhouse to his face. Then he blocks a couple more throws as Jeremy doggedly assaults him in order to get a hit. Xero manages to reverse his momentum and find an opening. Using that chance, he jabs the centermost of his throat. Secondly, he distorts his entire torso with a strong blow and sent him flying backwards.**

**"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM! " Tamiya and Millie said in unison as the clone practically skidded a few more feet.**

**The camera then zooms in on Odd as he makes his way towards him. The clone muttered a vulgar word as Odd towered him.**

**"wow, guess what?" Odd said.**

**"what..." the clone griped.**

**"you just got your ass kicked! HAHAHAHA!"**

**The surrounding students laughed at this for a few minutes before Jim appeared out of nowhere with a chainsaw.**

**"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" he yelled over the revving motor.**

**Most of the students screamed from Jim's surprise appearance. The rest stayed absolutely quiet.**

**"uh, Jim" Matthias stepped up and pointed at the chainsaw, "Why are you holding a chainsaw?"**

**"huh?" He lets go of the trigger, decreasing its rpm. "Ah, it makes me look cooler!"**

**He did a Duke Nukem pose that recieved a massive deadpan from the entire campus, including from Yolonde and Ms. Hertz.**

**"dumbass..." she said as she closes the door.**

**Xero heard her and chuckles, but he kept his place behind a tree.**

**"alright then, what's going on here? Why are you all standing over here? Did anyone start a fight, or something?"**

**The Lyoko gang nearly turned green. "No." Ulrich managed.**

**"Oh, really? Dyop! Why are you filming?"**

**Tamiya nearly dropped the camera. Millie barely peed on herself. Tamiya saw through the corner of her eyes. "Did you just pee on yourself?"**

**"SHUT UP, NO I DIDN'T!"**

**At that moment, Ms. Meyer decided to pop up behind Jim with a semi-apprehensive look on her face. Simultaneously, the students dispersed from the area to their dorms.**

**"ahem."**

**Jim turns back and smiles.**

**"hey, there Ms. Meyer!"**

**"a few of my students are trying to study, Jim. May I ask that you lower the volume of this shenanigans?"**

**"Sure. I already had to stop a fight from producing."**

**Ms. Meyer leaned to the side with a questioning look. "Stop what, exactly?"**

**Jim looks behind him, noticing that the students cleared it.**

**Then he looks back at Ms. Meyer's retreating form.**

**"Uh, have a good day!"**

**Ms. Meyer held up a hand. "Same to you and your toy, Jim."**

**Jim felt proud as he walks of with the aforementioned chainsaw.**

**As he walks off, a tall figure stood watch near the forest. Her slitted, green eyes penetrated his back without him ever noticing. Then she looks a little to the left. There she sees a group of teens chatting. Three of them looked exausted from possible laughter, two tried to be serious. And then there's one. The one and only, standing under the morning sun with her bright pink hair just as her own. She has grown.**

'Aelita.' **she whispers.**

**A jolt. Aelita felt a cold spasm for a moment. She instinctively looks a litle to the left.**

**No one.**

**The figure left, retreating elsewhere. Aelita shrugs if off and Yumi noticed.**

**"what's wrong?"**

**"I thought I saw someone."**

**"hm. It was probably him. Hey Xero!"**

**Xero emerged from a nearby tree near the benches.**

**Sissi's jaw dropped. "It's you! The asshole!"**

**"the what?" Ulrich and Odd deadpanned.**

**"this is going to be a looong day..." Jeremy commented.**

**"agreed." William deadpanned.**

**In Lyoko, Xana sat there, meditating.**

'Xero managed to take down my assets. How intruiging. However, he and those brats are in for a rude awakening. But, I think I want to target the weakest of them all, first. Aelita, time to meet your maker. Literally.' **Xana pondered.**

**"tee hee hee. I love being me. Do you love being yourself, manta?" The AH-64 beeped once. "You do, manta. I know you do. I also know that they aren't right now. Hee hee hee. I love this."**

**"man, you are psychotic as hell."**

**Xana opened her eyes and turned abruptly. "WHO SAID THAT?"**

**Xana-Ulrich appeared out of the checkpoint tower with his swords out. "Who the hell did you think said it?"**

**"do you want me to kill you?"**

**"what's the point? You're gonna need me anyway."**

**"yeah, you answered correctly in both occasions."**

**"what?"**

**In mental command, the helicopter shattered Xana-Ulrich with a mortar shot. But he reappeares as himself, since the previous was a clone.**

**"smartass."**

**"whatever, Xana. So, what the hell are you doing?"**

**"meditation."**

**"other than that?"**

**"nothing, much."**

**"really? So why did you slam the crap out of Neural?"**

**Xana's tentacles took aim towards the evil clone. "None of your damn business."**

**"how?"**

**"drop it."**

**"no."**

**The tentacles charges a blast as a nearby tarantula aims at him.**

**"I said, drop it."**

**Many moments passed until Xana-Ulrich decided that he was over-powered.**

**"alright, alright. Damn."**

**"I'll call you when I **NEED** you."**

**"what, ever." Ulrich hopped onto his darker dubbed unicycle and revved off.**

'the relationship between Neural and I are strictly forbidden from the knowledge of others.' **Xana thinks. **'but for now, lets see how Aelita reacts to a sudden return of a certain 'someone'.'

**Back in the factory, through the elevator, and into the lab, the supercomputer turns on. It scans its usual search for the activated towers. But then, the rest of the regions appear. There was a swamp region northeast, a village region southeast, a megacity southwest, and finally, a volcanic region.**

BLIP...BLIP...BLIP...BLIP...BLIP...BLIP...BLIP...B LIP

**A blue icon wandered around the megacity region. Then it lingered there, as if idle. But this icon was unique. Inside of the circle was a blue eye of Xana. More like cerulean. Then the entire screen switched to that eye, as it illuminates the entire lab.**

**The megacity towered more than two thousand feet high. A beach settled next to it, the harmless digital sea acting as a ocean. It was Utopia. Many people walked around, drove around and lingered around. Then a shorter tower was near the beach, where the icon settled. It was the tenth floor. There he stood. Almost six feet high. His hair was extremely long, his face was an inside of a pound cake. He wore a jet black leotard with blue parallel streaks on them with a large coat. The bottom of it was cut into columns. Due to his appearance, he seems an exact replica of Xana. But... the thing is...**

**His eyes were Xana's insignias painted blue. So was the large insignia embedded onto the back of his coat, the ends of the columns, his belt, his bare chest, and his forehands.**

**He is Xana the Cerulean.**

'so, she actually had the pair to cause a problem like this?" **he wonders. Then he clutches a USB wrapped around his neck. **'Hopper, I hope you lead me to where this is going to end. I seriously don't wanna have to fight my counterpart and try to survive her spychotic behavior.'

**A colorful ball of energy floated behind him.**

**_"don't worry, my fellow program. I know what I'm doing in order to stop this once and for all. And with your help, and your new cutting-edge technology that I installed into you, you're capable of doing many things that will thwart Xana into a stop."_ a deep, sharp yet intelligent voice informs.**

**Xana the Cerulean sighs in content. "Acknowledged. Thank you, sir."**

**_"be patient, as soon as this is over, you will be free from her mind forever. The virus that she implanted you is way too complex for me. But once she is destroyed, you are free. And so am I. And my daughter, Aelita."_**

**"All right." he grinned, ready for the next mission, "Let's end this imminent threat."**

* * *

><p><strong>Feel free to leave a review if ya want! I'd like 'em!<strong>

**S. **

**o_o ^m^**


	18. Catnip

CODE LYOKO: Chapter 18

Catnip

**There was a mewl at the front porch. After a high leap, the grey and pink Persian cat landed in front of the door. Then it leaps onto a door handle and opens it. It mewls again as it trods towards a dusty yet organized bookshelf. It stopped and sat there for a full minute, admiring the stacks of books before it. Then the cat looks down. There sat a somewhat disheveled dictionary with a few images sticking out. Suddenly, the cat bites the tip of the book and opens it. There sat many pictures of a man with glasses together with a woman. Then the cat meowed as it caught sight of a familiar face. It pawed the line of her chin on the photo and purred.**

**Footsteps.**

**The cat turned around as the same woman from the image gently picks up the cat. She smiles and rubs the cat's soft fur, earning a softer purr from it.**

"**You must be lost. Are you looking for someone?" she asked.**

**The cat eyed the image on the floor. She noticed it and crouched towards them. The image that the cat was looking at was Aelita. The woman picked up and fixed the dictionary to its rightful spot as she held the photo.**

"**You met her before, haven't you?"**

**The cat mewled. The woman smiles and cuddles the feline. "Okay, let's find her."**

"**Seven...eight...nine...ten! ARRAGHH!" Odd flips to his feet. "HAHAAAA! I WIN!"**

"**Dammit!" Ulrich does the same. "How the hell do you manage that so quickly?"**

"**What, you thought I didn't know how to do push-ups while upside-down?"**

"**No. I just thought that you couldn't do it when tons of blood rushes into your head!"**

"**Come on, buddy, I thought you could handle it."**

"**No way in hell I'd survive!"**

"**What are you guys moping about?" Yumi walked over towards them.**

"**This painful excercise Jim wanted us to do."**

"**For what?" Sissi wondered as she trodded behind Yumi with a comb stuck on her hair.**

"**Dunno. 'It makes you think a lot sharper', says Jim" Odd imitated.**

**They laughed. Then Sissi taps Yumi's shoulder.**

"**What's up?" Yumi asked.**

"**Can you fix my hair? I screwed it up and my hairspray ran out."**

"**Sure. Mind if you turn around?"**

**Sissi did so as Odd and Ulrich headed towards the showers. **

**Meanwhile, in the lab...**

"**Yeah... sorry about the clone. I created him in order to take my place in P.E. whenever possible." Jeremy said apologetically.**

"**It's alright. Now that we all recently found out, everything cooled down a bit." Xero said as he shook Jeremy's hand.**

"**True." Aelita said. "Aaand..."**

"**Hm?" they wondered.**

"**Guess what?"**

"**What?" Jeremy and Xero asked.**

"**Since he knows everything about Lyoko, Xana, and what has been going on these past few months..."**

**Jeremy raised an eyebrow.**

"**...I think he should be the newest addition to our group!"**

**Xero also raised an eyebrow. "Group?"**

"**I guess, but it depends on everyone else."**

"**How's that?"**

"**Oh, yeah... Everyone has to be here in order to accept you as one of us. All the things you did ever since we first saw you is the outcome of how we know what type of person you are. So, once we all agree on it, we will tell you." Aelita explained.**

"**Alright." Xero said after taking in everything Aelita told him.**

"**Cool! I can't wait!"**

"**Heheh, I guess your really excited for this."**

**The elevator opened.**

"**William!" Jeremy greeted. "Good timing."**

"**Sup."**

**Xero turned around and William finally realized who it was. "Oh cool, you're alive, after all."**

"**True." Xero high fives William.**

"**So, what's going on?"**

"**William, before we can get the rest of the group together, I would like you to meet the pending newest addition." Jeremy said.**

"**Newest addition to what?" William asked with a raised eyebrow.**

"**To fight alongside us in Lyoko."**

"**Already? That's even better! Now we'll have the greater chance to kick Xana's ass." William slams a fist onto his palm for emphasis.**

**Xero's smirk grew a bit.**

**Aelita saw this and giggled.**

**Jeremy began typing the codes for Xero's attributes, but he suddenly found out that there was none. He hums in question.**

**'Where are they?' he thought.**

**A dull **_CLICK_** shuts off the blow dryer.**

"**Finished." Yumi finally completed the difficult mission of blow drying Sissi's mass of a hair. Sissi decided that she wanted it curled for the rest of the month. Only because she wanted the other girls to be jealous of her looks. As for Yumi, without knowing Sissi's true intentions, she knew that she did a good job.**

"**Thanks a lot, Yumi. I really needed the help."**

"**It's alright. The hair suits you, by the way."**

"**Thanks."**

"**You're welcome."**

**They exited Sissi's room and walks back into the gym, only that the founded it empty.**

"**Wow, here's deserted already?" Yumi asked.**

"**I guess so." Sissi answered.**

**Anais Fiquet appeared into the gym with a dodgeball.**

**Yumi turned and saw her. "Hey, Anais, did you see anyone?"**

"**No lessons this afternoon. I'm guessing everyone either went home, or went out."**

"**Oh. Okay, thanks." Yumi said.**

"**Sure." With that being said, Anais went towards the supply room to put away the dodgeball.**

"**Let's try the lab. Maybe Odd and Ulrich might be there."**** Sissi suggested.**

"**Probably."**** Yumi responded.**

**The woman took the Persian cat towards a path leading to elsewhere. She was several meters from it and the cat mewls again. She rubs the feline's back gently, earning a pur from the former.**

**Then her ears picked up a strong sensation of heavy footsteps approaching fast from behind. In quick succession, she jumps onto a high tree branch. A split-second later, Yumi and Sissi ran past her previous position and towards a sewer lid. She eyed the two as Yumi slides the lid to the side. Sissi went in first and Yumi went in last as she replaced the lid back into place.**

**The woman was intrigued by how they use some sort of secret location to enter the sewers. The only question was where?**

**She drops to the ground and walks towards the sewer lid. Then, she places her palm onto the ground. Suddenly, she slams her palm onto the ground as it sent a huge vibration into the sewers in order to read what is going on in there. Later on, the vibrations came back as she felt Yumi and Sissi a quarter of a mile away from here, somewhere Northeast.**

"**They're near an old car factory." she said to herself. "But why would they go there?"**

**The persian cat began to sniff out something as she leaps off of her grip and trots a few inches beside her. The woman found what the cat was staring at and picks it up. It was a thin line of pink hair.**

**Aelita.**

**The cat mewled and went off full speed in that direction.**

"**Hey, wait!" The woman follows the Persain cat as they head towards the factory.**

"**Hey Yumi, I have a strange feeling."**

"**How come?"**

"**I dunno, but I feel as if we're being followed."**

"**Ever since we entered the manhole?"**

"**You felt it too, right?"**

"**Yeah. But whoever it was, they can't find us here. The elevator wo****uld****n't let them in."**

"**True. Jeremy upped his security systems two days ago."**

"**Yep, and that lessens the chance of break-ins by eighty percent."**

"**Yeah. But what about the elevator door? It kept messing up a few times. Is****n't**** it because of the cause of break-ins?"**

"**I don't think so."**

**Yumi and Sissi ****swung to the lower level of the factory as the reach the elevator. Sissi lifted the broken control box to reveal an all too famimiar sercurity pad. After pressing a button, the door opens and closes as it descends towards the lab...**

**...Until the door decided to malfunction again.**

**"What the hell!" Sissi said.**

**"Not again!" Yumi, obviously annoyed, exclaimed.**

**"Dumbass door. Why does this have to happen again?"**

**"This door is really getting on my nerves..."**

_BAM!_

**"What the hell!?" Sissi screamed.**

**The door began to emit a large wave of electricity. Then it stopped as it opened. A figure, nearly burned alive due to electricution, stood comically before them.**

**"Jeremy, the door is broken, again." Aelita informed.**

**"Are you serious? I just fixed it yesterday!" he complained.**

**"Was it constant? When did it happen?" Xero asked as he walked towards the door.**

**"A few days ago."**

**"Everything fixed?"**

**"All except the door." Aelita said, wondering what Xero planned on doing.**

**Xero opened a curcuit box next to the door as he noticed that a wire was out of power.**

**"Power's out. Do you have tape, or something?"**

**"Uh, no." Jeremy said. "There's no tape in this type of factory..."**

**"Got some!" William tosses it to Xero.**

**"Thanks." Xero then rips off a thin line of tape and wraps it around the foliage of the wire. Then the power goes on as the electricity goes into the elevator door.**

**"Fixed it."**

**"Nice." William said.**

**But the power went off again.**

**"Fail." Aelita said.**

**"Seriously?" Jeremy said incredulously.**

**Xero's temple throbbed as he sends a powerful punch onto the elevator door. Then the power goes back on again.**

**"Now it's working." William said.**

**In concequence, a large wave of electricity contacted onto Xero's fist as he was shocked with over two-hundred volts.**

**"Oh, crap!" William said.**

**"OH NO, XERO!" Aelita and Jeremy said.**

**His body comically jerked in several directions before going back to his previous position as the shock ended. His head lolled to the side in defeat as the elevator door opened. It revealed Yumi and Sissi in a severe-stricken state.**

**Xero slowly leans backwards as his body fell terribly with a **_THUD._

**"What the hell happened!?" Yumi asked forcefully.**

**"I think he finally fixed the annoying-ass door. But, Xero got his ass kicked by electricity." William deadpanned.**

**"Fail." Sissi said.**

**Yumi gave her a semi-glare.**

**"It slipped out." she said in defense.**

**"Alright, before I explain what was going on before this shenanigans happened, I'm gonna contact Odd and Ulrich." Jeremy said as he opened both of their icons.**

**Odd and Ulrich reached the factory and swung downwards to the elevator. They entered it and descended to the lab. Meanwhile, the Persian cat reached the bridge leading to the factory. The woman caught up to it and picks it up. Then she looks up at the looming factory.**

**"This is their hideout? Here used to be where Renault make their cars. Now it's closed down." she explained to herself.**

**The cat mewled. She rubs it's head in responce.**

**"But, it may still be operable."**

**She reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out the string of hair.**

**"And I may be able to find her."**

**The woman and the cat walked through the long bridge towards the factory to find them.**

**Especially Aelita.**

* * *

><p>Please R&amp;R! Had connection issues.<p>

^nn^ ^_^

S.


	19. Catnip -part two-

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 19: Catnip -part two-

**"Crud! I knew something was up!" Jeremy said.**

**"What is it?" Yumi asked.**

**"My files are messed up again. Now I can't load our data unless we reboot the system."**

**"Reboot it, then." William suggests.**

**"It'll take hours. It might affect Lyoko."**

**"Hey Xero, do you know any of this?" Aelita asks.**

**Xero walks up to take a closer look at the monitor. Most of the green files were okay; but a few of them were red, signaling that they were damaged a while ago.**

**"I guess it's the only way. You'll have to reboot it since the files are getting old." Xero said.**

**"Alright. Commencing reboot." After typing the command, the monitor was replaced with a box. Then the reboot began.**

**"Well, that's it. Let's get back to school."**

**The elevator door opened to reveal Odd and Ulrich.**

**"Oh, hey guys." Jeremy greeted.**

**"Took long enough." Sissi said.**

**"Yeah, what happened?" Yumi asked.**

**"Uh, Einstein, you have a cat problem, or something?" Odd asked.**

**"Whadduya mean? There aren't any cats in this factory." Jeremy said.**

**"Well, we heard one and whenever we found out where the sound came from, it was gone." Ulrich explained.**

**"Yeah, like a ninja, or something." Odd added.**

**"How the hell can a cat be a ninja?" Sissi blurted out.**

**"If you were in my shoes, you'd know."**

**"Your shoes stink, Odd. That's never happening."**

**"Hey!"**

**"I can smell it from here."**

**"No need to let the whole world know!"**

**"The world already knows, idiot. Your smell is the contamination to our lungs."**

**Odd's temple throbs. "You're going too far, 'Queen Elizabeth'."**

**"Oh, shut up, Odd." A tap on her shoulder. "Hm?"**

**Yumi shakes her head. "Too much, Sissi."**

**The look on everyone's eyes confirmed that it was enough.**

**"Fine." Sissi said.**

**"I'm gonna go home and check something out." Xero said suddenly.**

**"Already?" Aelita wondered.**

**"Yeah. I'll be back in a while."**

**"Okay. Bye." Aelita said.**

**"Later." almost everyone said.**

**Xero waves as the door closes.**

**A moment passed.**

**"Uhh, guys. You know we could of just went out of the factory with him and THEN say goodbye to him, right?"**

**"No." Yumi said.**

**"How?"**

**"Take a look."**

**Sissi looks to where Yumi and the others stared at. There, leaning on a wall, is a sleeping William.**

**"Looks like we have to wake him up again." Aelita said.**

**"When the hell did he fall asleep!? Does he have a serious case of narcolepsy, or something!?" Sissi said incredulously.**

**"You noticed it just now?" Ulrich said.**

**"Fail." Aelita said.**

**The woman walks around the factory with the cat still in her arms. Then it mewled for the seventh time. Just as the woman heard noise from the elevator, she hides behind a pillar. Xero walks out of the elevator to climb the rope. But he stops when he hears a mewl. He looks around just as the woman tensed and rubs the cat to stop it from making noise. But Xero was able to pick up a sound of purring. It was silent, but the factory was a lot quieter than the former sound. He walks closer to the aforementioned pillar just as the woman clenched one of her fists. Xero stops at just two feet from the pillar and looks around. The woman's heartbeat intensified at her rising urge of adrenaline. But then, the person didn't do anything. In fact, Xero just stood there, still looking around. This lasted for a few seconds, as for the woman, if felt like a few minutes. Surprisingly, the cat was silent as well.**

**A sigh.**

**"Am I hearing things, or something?" Xero wondered.**

**A shift of footsteps signaled that he was departing. That confirmed it when Xero sneezed in the distance. The woman sighed and faces the cat towards her with a smile.**

**"Close call, wasn't it?"**

**The cat mewled and the woman giggles. Suddenly there was noise. Her eyes widen with shock and looks towards the elevator. But it was already descending. She walks towards it and looks down the vertical passage. Then she kneels and put down the cat.**

**"I want you to wait here for me. I'm going to check it out. I'll be right back, okay?"**

**The cat raised a paw. The woman smiled again and places her palm on its paw.**

**"Okay. Here goes."**

**The woman drops down the passage towards the top of the elevator.**

**"So did you really have to hit me upside the head, smart-ass?" William griped as he rubs his head.**

**"It was the only way to wake you up, lazy-ass!" Sissi said.**

**"Sorry. You're a heavy sleeper." Aelita said as she rubs her hand.**

**There was suddenly a dull** _thump. _**The group fell silent and took a look around the lab. In the elevator shaft, the woman felt as if she made too much noise upon entering. Odd then realized that it came from the elevator.**

**"Hey, Einstein, I think something fell on top of the elevator."**

**"Nonsense, there's nothing on top of the elevator." Jeremy said.**

**"Oh crap, maybe the pulley broke off. We're probably stuck in this lab!" Sissi panicked.**

**Aelita was a bit spooked at that conclusion. "She may be right."**

**"So you guys woke me up for nothing?" William said nonchalantly.**

**"Dude!" Odd and Ulrich said in unison.**

**"I'll check it out. Hey wait, what the hell!?" Jeremy exclaimed.**

**"What?" everyone said.**

**"The cameras are down!"**

**Yumi and Sissi received a cold chill down their spines. Then they faced each other.**

**"A break-in?" Yumi asked.**

**"Yeah." Sissi responded.**

**"What?" Aelita said.**

**"Someone is trying to break into the lab!" Yumi and Sissi said simultaneously.**

**The group and the woman tensed. She was in trouble. To top that, the elevator opened. But it didn't close.**

**"Odd, what are you doing?" Ulrich said.**

**"Checking out the elevator."**

**The woman had to hide, as of now. She frantically looks around until she sees an air vent to her right. At the same time, Odd makes it to the top and opens the emergency hatch. He flicks on a flashlight and looks around until he finds nothing but a half-open air vent. He points the light inside of it and finds nothing.**

**"Odd, you see anything wrong?" Ulrich's voice echoed.**

**"Nope. Nothing up here." Odd responds, his voice also echoing.**

**Just as he was about to turn back, he finds something rather interesting hanging on the corner of the air vent.**

**"Nothing. That means that the pulley is still working." Ulrich said.**

**"That's good, we're not stuck, then."**

**Odd drops back in. "Hey guys."**

**"Everything's fine, right?" William said.**

**"Yeah."**

**"Nobody broke in then."**

**A sigh from Ulrich and Jeremy.**

**"It must of been a rat or something." Odd said.**

**"No, it wasn't a rat, Odd. Something that made that loud of a noise wouldn't be as small as a rat." Sissi corrected with concern.**

**"I dunno. I mean, rats don't have that many bones. And we're about several meters below sea-level."**

**"Odd's right. Our voices echoed when Odd was on top of the elevator. The elevator must of produced the noise when the rat fell. That's why it like a loud noise in here." Ulrich added.**

**"You may be right, but I am sure that that wasn't a rat." Sissi said.**

**"I saw specks of dust fall out when it happened. The door must of vibrated, then." William said.**

**"Then it must of been a cat." Odd said, receiving blank stares from Yumi, Sissi, and Aelita. "It must of been the same cat Ulrich and I heard a few minutes ago."**

**"Ooooh, that probably was it." Ulrich said.**

**"But, the cat could have died from the fall!" Aelita said, frightened from the possibility.**

**"Cats have nine lives." Odd said.**

**"Oh, phew."**

**"I thought that was a stereotype." Jeremy said.**

**"I thought you weren't a cat person." William said.**

**Odd's temple throbbed. "Not helping, William."**

**"Okay, guys, stop it. You all made really good points, but all that doesn't explain the camera situation."**

**"Oh, yeah... What the hell happened to them?" Ulrich pondered.**

**"I'm still getting the feeling that someone tried to break in here." Sissi said.**

**"Me too. Maybe it was Xana's doing." Yumi said.**

**A moment passed with silence.**

**"If Xana wanted to attack us, then the supercomputer would of scanned it."**

**"Can you scan the towers right now?" Aelita asked.**

**"Or send us to Lyoko?" William asked.**

**"I can't do anything, right now. The system is still rebooting."**

**"Oh."**

**"I'll scan everything tonight with my laptop."**

**"Okay."**

**"Guys!"**

**Everyone looks at Odd. More accurately, what he was holding.**

**"I almost forgot. I found this while I was looking."**

**Yumi was closer to Odd and takes a look at the string of hair. It was about a foot long and it was pink. The same exact color as Aelita's.**

**"Whoa. That's unusual." Ulrich said.**

**"Aelita, why was your hair on top of the elevator?" Yumi asked.**

**"Huh?" Jeremy said.**

**"Wha?" Aelita walks towards Odd to take a closer look.**

**"That's your hair, right?" Yumi asked.**

**"But how? I was never at the elevator." Aelita said as she takes the hair from Odd.**

**"How the hell was Aelita at the top of the elevator, first of all?" Sissi wondered.**

**"Sneaky are you?" William said.**

**"Am not!" Aelita said.**

**"No way." Jeremy defended.**

**"Oh, brother." Ulrich said.**

**"Odd are you sure you found this on top of the elevator, or are you messing with her?" Yumi said stiffly.**

**"I'm serious. And besides, it's not Aelita's hair."**

**"Wha?" Everyone said.**

**Odd takes back the hair and places the tip of it at the top of Aelita's forehead, where the root of her hair began. Then he turns Aelita around, showing her to everyone. "Check it out. It's longer."**

**Everyone gasped.**

**Aelita stood there, frozen to the floor. That one strip of hair landed all the way down past her shoulders to her lower chest.**

**"Ho-ly crap." William said. "That's some type of hair."**

**Yumi felt uneasy about Aelita's silence. "Aelita, are you okay?"**

**No answer. That got Jeremy's attention.**

**"Aelita?" he said.**

**Aelita snatches the hair from Odd and moves him out the way.**

**"Hey!" Odd was about to say something but then he was suddenly feeling a pulsing pain on his stomach. Aelita punched him and proceeded to the elevator.**

**"What the hell was that all about?" William and Jeremy said. William grabs her arm, but she stomps on his foot in the process.**

**"Ow!" William began hopping on one leg while clutching his now semi-broken foot. Ulrich traps Aelita's arms and legs from behind.**

**"Aelita! What's wrong with you!?" Aelita couldn't move and Yumi walks towards her.**

**"Ulrich, let her go." Yumi said. "Aelita tell us what's wrong with you."**

**Just as Ulrich loosened up, Aelita began to force her way out, causing him to tighten up again. "She's trying to leave."**

**"Leave me alone." Aelita said.**

**When Yumi got closer, Aelita felt trapped within herself. Everything Aelita was seeing were blurred visions and she tries to calm down. But the closer Yumi got, the faster her heartbeat went. As soon as Yumi was a foot from her, Aelita growls and puts her head down. Then she shoots her head right back up and impacts it with Ulrich's head.**

**"Agh!" Ulrich reared instinctively as Aelita evaded Yumi's grasp. As she turned, Yumi manages to grab a hold of her hand.**

**"Aelita, stop! You're hurting us."**

**Aelita couldn't hear anything Yumi was telling her. Her hand held a tight grip on her. Aelita felt her leg clip behind Yumi and pushed herself on her. Yumi fell backwards and Odd ran towards Aelita.**

**"Aelita, knock it off." Odd said as he got to Aelita. She suddenly throws a kick, but he grabs her leg and did the same thing Aelita did to Yumi. They both fall with Odd on top of Aelita.**

**"Odd, stop it!" Jeremy said.**

**"Aelita's the one fighting!" Sissi yelled.**

**"Aelita, what's gotten into you?" Odd asked.**

**Aelita's blurred vision went off for a moment, until it became blurry once again. Then Aelita covered her face.**

**"No, stop. Leave me alone!" Aelita shrieked. After that, she pushed him off of her. Just as Odd turned around Aelita was already on the elevator.**

**"Is she being controlled by Xana!?" William asked.**

**"I dunno." Jeremy said. Yumi ran towards the closing elevator.**

**As it was closing, time slowed down...**

**...Yumi reaching the door...**

**...Aelita slowly turning around...**

**...everyone looking towards her...**

**...but her eyes caught everyone's attention...**

**...at the closing off the door...**

**...at the pound of Yumi's body slamming onto the door...**

** ...was the signal of time resuming normally.**

**Everyone was shocked at Aelita's actions. Sissi held her head down. Yumi slid to her knees from the weight of sadness pushing her down. The gang kept like this for minutes. No one had the wits to say a word, until Odd decided that it was best.**

**"Her eyes... they were dead."**

**"Glad I'm not the only one who saw it." Ulrich said.**

**"Everyone saw it" Jeremy said, who was still stunned like the others.**

**Then, Yumi's body shook repeatedly.**

**"Yumi?" Ulrich asked.**

**Yumi stopped moving, but when a tear fell on the floor, Sissi tensed.**

**"No, Odd. They weren't just dead."**

**"Yumi, your crying." Sissi said silently.**

**Everyone else tensed.**

**"What's wrong?" Jeremy and Ulrich asked.**

**Yumi slammed her fist onto the door, causing the group, besides Sissi, to wince.**

**Then she gets up and turns to the group, which was a lot saddening to them.**

**"I'm crying... because Aelita was crying."**


	20. Xana's Itch

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 20: Xana's Itch

**Xana strides back and forth near a checkpoint tower. Earlier, she sent a megatank in the swamp region in order to get some info from its surroundings. It took its time since it was well past sunrise.**

**"What the hell's taking it so long... Did it get shot down, or something...?"**

**As if on cue, the megatank rolls itself towards Xana in a disordered kind of way. It veered itself to it side a few times and Xana finally noticed a gaping hole on its armor from several meters away. **

**"Had a feeling."**

**As the monster finally reached her, Xana repositioned it upright.**

**"What happened to you? Did you find anything?"**

**The monster beeped once. Then it opened itself as a robotic head fell to the ground. Xana crouched in front of it to examine the object. Then she got back up.**

**"Was that the one that shot you?"**

**A surveillance probe ejects from the megatank and flies towards Xana. It then opened an interface.**

[system on. recording recent. Playback ready.]

**Xana pressed play.**

[please wait.../ loading...]

[start]

{The megatank rolls over to the hill of a small settlement, or what remained of it. Suddenly, it came across a battle between two other monsters. One of them was a slim robot as the other resembled a giant. The robot barely avoided decimation from the giant's tail. It lands on top of the hulking being and extends a blade from his forearm to stab at its head. The giant writhed wrecklessly as its tail whipped about and smashed several objects and nearby buildings. The robot began to twist its blade to add additional damage. As the tail finally found its mark, it impales the robot at full velocity, killing its power cells. Then everything slowed down as the robot hang lifelessly on the tail. Then the megatank began to leave. But the titan didnt let up as it threw the robot towards it. The megatank acted fast as it opens up, shooting its elliptical field towards the monster. It acted instantly as it dodges the blast, but one of its legs did not make it in time. The robot was completely sliced in half, but its head smashed into Xana's insignia, causing the megatank's offensive systems to malfunction. Fearing that it is now powerless, the megatank began to evacuate. But the giant grew more persistent as it jumped over the megatank, blocking its path in the process. Now trapped, the megatank closed itself to prepare for a detour. Meanwhile, the giant growled as its main claws erected a quad of turrets. Then, it fired. The megatank managed to deflect an array of blasts and decided to move. It weaved through the monster with ease until a tail buried itself onto the ground in front of it. The megatank barely dodged death as it evaded it with a side-roll, only to recieve a heavy tail into its core...}

[camera failure/ repairing. System shutdown...]

**Xana sighs. "You did well, my friend." Then, she absorbs the megatank into her energy. Later, Xana-Ulrich walks towards Xana.**

**"Yo"**

**"What do you want?"**

**"Nothing, just taking a stroll.**

**"Really, at a checkpoint tower, of all places?"**

**"So? Your point?"**

**"Bullshit."**

**"You mad?"**

**"I have no use for you, Ulrich. Go somewhere else."**

**"What-evs" And with that, he summons his over bike and flies off.**

**Xana began to walk to and fro. Slowly. "There's something going on behind my back, and I really don't like it. I send pulsations in order to get a look-around, but theres always something, or someone intercepting it. Who the hell is DOING THAT!?"**

**A shockwave of lightning erupts in a large dome.**

**"Damn... I need to calm down... But how the hell..."**

**About a few feet away, a figure stood still, watching Xana's every move.**

**Xana sighs again, but with less irritation. "Whatever, then... I'll have to try harder if I want to get that info."**

**The figure narrowed its eyes. Its presence began to widen with energy. Suddenly a digital bug accidentally snaps a twig in two, causing it to fall to the ground with a **_twip_**.**

**Xana immediately reacted.**

**"Who's there!?"**

**The figure didn't say a word. The atmosphere became dense with each passing second while Xana became even more pissed in the process. After fully turning around, Xana met glowing white eyes, staring her down as if they were to easily melt her worthless soul. Xana takes a stand, obviously threatened by the appearance.**

**"And just who the hell are you!? RAAHHH!" Xana was in front of it within a moment before sending it in the air with a powerful haymaker. Now out in the open, the figure revealed itself as a female with pale-white skin, distinctive three red braided sections of hair: two to the side and a bang in the front, and white eyes, which is currently closed due to the surprise of Xana's strength.**

_THUD. THUD. SKID._

**The girl laid as still as a rock. Xana grimaced.**

**"What the hell..." Xana took another good look at her, only to find her soundly asleep. "You're sooooooo weak..." Xana's voice drowned with disappointment.**

**The girl woke up at this with a squeaky groan. Xana became even more annoyed and aggravation creeps itself into her developing growl.**

**The girl used her elbow to pull herself up. Sitting, she rubs the side of her face where Xana punched her. And as soon as she became to speak, Xana suddenly wished shat she was never here.**

**"Ow... Thot really herrt, you know..." she said in a really, really mid-deep squeaky-scratchy, thick British accent.**

**Xana winced at every single word. It was like watching a squirrel attempting to impersonate Queen Elizabeth at a mid pitch tone.**

**"What. The. Hell?... did you say?" Xana asked irritably.**

**The girl gives Xana a pathetic look. Then she lowers one of her eyebrows while raising the other in a way that simply indicates that she's in "total confusion". That look made Xana grimace even more.**

**"You didunt hear me the first time?" she croaked.**

**Xana wanted to kill herself. Literally. She has the power to do it, but her mind is boggled with the decision of killing herself or the croaking squirrel over there.**

**"I'm sorry, I just can't understand you. Can you talk clear?" Xana explained, as nicely as she tried to put it. But the girl only tilts her head to the side.**

**That made Xana facepalm herself. "Oh, my goodness."**

**"Are you okay?" the girl asked slowly. This time, both of her eyes narrowed in significance.**

**"What do**** you think? After berely hearing a full sentence, all I heard was frogs galore!" Xana said.**

**And that, made the girl's eyebrows drop. Now her expression changed dramatically.**

**"I am not liking that insult you gave me." Her presence became a dark essence of danger around Xana. She slowly clenches her fists in the process. Xana noticed them and became even more threatened.**

**"Are you sure you wanna do that?" ****Xana warned, also clenching her fist. "Because, if you do..." Xana began to glow a dark red aura, "...then I'll have to kill you."**

**"You're deliberating signs of weakness in me, aren't you." the girl noticed.**

**Xana received cold chills in her body, but that only pissed her off even more. "Unless you prove me wrong, the only deliberance I have is kicking your ass."**

**Xana advances towards her with a burst of speed. The girl barely manages to dodge the incoming kick and blocks a spinning backfist. Then the girl throws a cross straight jab and lands it perfectly on Xana's face. But it wasn't enough. The girl soon realized after Xana glares at her, unsatched.**

**"Impressive,"**

**Xana clenched a hidden fist.**

****"...but you're too..."****

_THUMP!_

**A blow to the stomach.**

****"...damn..."****

_THOK!_

**A counter-jab to the face.**

**Xana grabs her arm and ****sends her flying to a tree several yards away.**

_THRAAM!_

**"Unh!" the girl wheezed.**

_THUD!_

**Xana slouched tiredly to the side in a threatening pose. "...weak."**

**Coughing.**

**The girl couldn't take much of the pain. Her stomach felt as it it was ripping itself apart the more she moves. Then, she spits out blood from biting herself when Xana punched her. Xana eyed her in disgust.**

**"I can't even kill you, yet. Going back to wherever the hell you came from should be a very good idea in your head. I suggest you think about it."**

**After this, Xana turns around and walks off.**

**The girl was hurt because of Xana. And there was no way in hell that she would get away with this. Her eyes began to glow. Right when Xana was about to enter the checkpoint tower, the girl calls to Xana.**

**"Hey!"**

**Xana stops. She retracts her foot from the surface field of the tower. Then she turns her face. And as soon as she partially turns halfway, a mid-sized fireball explodes in her face.**

_THWASH! SPLAT!_

**The tower hummed as Xana tried to comprehend on what just happened.**

**"Did she just..." Xana wondered. Then she growled. She land on the floor and walks out of the tower just before receiving another fireball.**

_THWASH! THUD!_

**Xana was bewildered. "What the fu-" Xana howled and caught herself. "I am not going to lose it because of this little EXCUSE OF AGGRAVATION!"**

**Xana bolts out the tower as it pulsates while an even bigger fireball charges towards her. Xana sees it coming and turns sideways as she backflips over the elemental nuisance and lurches towards her for a nice little "F-U" hammer fist. The girl waits for the right time for Xana to show up. And using the same technique Xana used on her, she grabs Xana's arm just as she dodges it, stops her momentum using a knee, and charges up a wide amount of energy.**

**Xana's eyes widen just as an energetic discharge sends a massive blast that sends Xana through a variety of trees. A final crash was heard a kilometer away.**

**Xana couldn't believe what the hell just happened to her. After she was sent flying through countless amounts of trees, she began to groan.**

**"Ugh, what the hell is happening? This is so stupid."**

**Suddenly, the girl teleports towards a now deteriorating Xana. Xana's eyes widen when she protruded a transperant arm as it grabbed Xana's throat. Then it raises her up as the girl walks towards her until they were eye to eye.**

**"What the hell do you want?" Xana said with strain.**

**"I want to get something clear, Xana. I dunt know what business you have here, but I would really like et if you butt out of this." the girl whispered.**

**"What are you talking about?" Xana rasped.**

**"Stop sending monsters near our village. Or else! Clear?" the girl added pressure onto her grip as affirmation.**

**"What?" Xana said. **'What monster?'

_WHOOSH, BOOM!_

**The girl growls as she lifts Xana in the air and smashes her to the ground.**

**"That bowling-ball-of-a-distraction you call a 'megatank'. I already had to deal with one nuicance and I don't have the time or rescources to deal with another!"**

_SMASH!_

**Xana spits out her own blood as she was thrown onto another tree. "I'm starting to get tired of this." Then she froze at what the girl just said. "Wait, what did you mean, dealt with one?"**

**The girl sets her hand on her hip. "Are you that thick-headed?"**

**The megatank. The robot. The large scorpion. Those three images flashed into Xana's mind like a photo booth.**

**"So... You're the one who controls that huge monster."**

**The girl stands straight. "Right."**

**Xana took a moment to think this through, until minutes later. "Hm, I don't care."**

**"Huh?" the girl wondered.**

**Within a fraction of a second, Xana uppercuts the girl and sends her in the air. The girl catches her momentum and shoots balls of energy at Xana. Then she barely avoids Xana's next attack and separates herself a few yards from her, maintaining it.**

**"Keeping distance, huh?" Xana taunts. Then she finds a few pebbles and lobs them at the girl. She blocks a few of them with a small energy shield while receiving sharp blows from the high-velocity projectiles. Feeling wary, she fires a few rounds of fireballs back at Xana, who dodges them effortlessly while at the same time, nears herself towards the girl. She noticed the tactic and blasts her again with an explosive shockwave. Xana became pissed from the sudden blast and backflips a few yards away.**

**"Whatever, I might as well test out my range."**

**With that being said, Xana protrudes all four of her metallic tentacles. The girl began to shield her eyes from the glare of the light emitted from the barrels.**

**"What the hell..."**

_BROWROROROROROROROW!_

**A cannonade of lasers fire rapidly into the air and then descends as it began to rain apon the girl. The girl creates a force field ****to block off the deadly bolts of heat. Noticing this, Xana lowers her tentacles to add more damage and force. The shield began to crack as the girl began to lose some of her resistance. Xana began to step closer to the shield to add even greater damage and cracks the shield even more. The girl resists to the point where she begins to slide backwards. The bolts ricochets everywhere at a rapid rate. Then, one of the bolts struck a tree and ignites it. A second later, the forest was on fire. Black smoke surrounds the area and into Xana's lungs. But, she's not at all affected by it, until Xana hesitates for a second, and that was just enough fot the girl to expand the force field with a heavy amount of strength right towards Xana.**

_SPLAT! WOP!_

**Xana literally bounced several yards from the impact. The girl regains her energy just as Xana regains her footing.**

**"Why you little..." Xana charges towards the girl once more just before-**

_BAM! SLAP! BOOM!_

**Xana recieves a hard uppercut that sends her in the air, and is sent back to the ground with a bitchslap to the face. Then the girl finishes her off with a stomp upon landing. Xana grew tired of this.**

**"No way... That I'm going to be killed by you!" Before Xana could reach her, the girl stops her with telechonesis and sends her to a burning tree.**

**"Are you out of yur mind? I don't want to kill you. I just want to warn you. Now, that my business is done, here, I'm going to leave. But, if you follow me, I will reconsider."**

**"And just who the hell do you think you are?" Xana asked silently.**

**The girl stopped while she turned her head. She waits for a minute before replying, "Wren." and walks off.**


	21. Catnip -part 3-

CODE LYOKO

Chapter 21: Catnip -part 3-

**"Aelita!"**

**"Aelita!"**

**"Hey, Aelita, are you there?!"**

**Three hours have passed since she disappeared.**

**"Aelita!"**

**No one could determine where she is.**

**"Please, Aelita! Where are you?"**

**Where is she now?...**

**...Not far**

**Aelita looks at the lake before her. The moderate crash of the waves leaves her in a blank state. Nothing was in her mind. Her thoughts, her movement, her emotions; nothing. That's what she has been like for the past three hours until she sees it again. She began to clench the string of hair and erupt in silent tears for the fourth time. It was well past midnight. Then, memories of her in the past started flashing throughout her mind...**

_The time where she was reading with her mother, the time she played the piano with her, the time she felt her warmth whenever it was cold..._

_Until they came, and took her away from her. Aelita gasps for air as she pictures herself walking into the house, coming towards her mother as she reads her book. Then they came, stops her father, pins him down, and taking her mother into the back of a van and drives off. Aelita cringes and grips the metal guard rail for dear life. Then it slightly bends and began to break off. Aelita pictures herself running after the van and wondering what was going on. Her father soon comes out for her and asks for her hand. He takes her to an underground passage to the factory. After getting there, he takes out a phone and pressed a sequential code. Suddenly, there was a explosion. He blew up the shortest passage to the factory._

_"Don't worry, Aelita. They won't find us anymore."_

**Aelita rubs off the tears from her face as she continued to witness her memory.**

_They reach the scanners. Her father goes into the first one, Aelita takes the second._

_"Daddy, where are we going?"_

_"We are going to a place where we can be safe. No one can find us here."_

_"Will I see you again?"_

_"Of course I will." he smiled._

**Aelita begin to smile exactly as she smiles in the memory.**

_"I'll be waiting for you, Aelita."_

_And as the scanners close, Aelita's mind flashes a picture of her mother. But when she began to have second thoughts, her mind went blank as her scanner closed._

**Aelita flushed in tears for the fifth time. She covers her face.**

'They took her away... They took her away from me...'

**Silent footsteps and trotting approached the peninsular area, eying Aelita.**

'What am I going to do...? What am I going to do...?'

**Aelita looks at the lake before her. She stares at it for a long time. Until she makes up her mind.**

'I dunno what else I can do anymore...'

**Time goes slow as Aelita gets up. She stands at the edge of the ground where the water is probably 24 meters deep. The surface is only a few inches from her foot.**

'Odd... Yumi... Ulrich... Jeremy... Sissi... William... Jim... Xero... everyone...

...goodbye'

**The water deforms into a wave of molecules at the tip of her feet, then hundreds at her knees, then thousands at her waist, then tens of thousands at the splash of her body.**

**Jet streams of water shoots into her nose as Aelita voids herself. Seconds passed. Then half a minute. Then a full minute. What's going on... She would of drowned in ten seconds by now.**

SWOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHH!

**A second body entered the lake. Then, a sudden tug of her waist. Aelita was lurched forward by someone. But she couldn't tell who it was since she was already losing consciousness. Everything went black.**

**But she could hear something. She hears a lot of things, starting off with a splash. She hears many people shouting. Wondering what the hell is going on. Then she is lifted by her savior. Taken to another area away from the water. Then she is laid onto a gurney. Half of her shirt is ripped open, showing her chest covered with her bra. Then, at the base of her chest, two hands were placed there. The person's hands were soft. And warm. It was a woman. She sounded like she was afraid, worried.**

**"Come on, baby. Come on, breathe."**

**Force was embedded onto her chest at continuous rate of 1.5bps. The woman repeatedly pumps her. She stops and blow air into Aelita. Then she gets back into pushing her chest. Aelita's vision began to function.**

**"Come on, breathe. Breathe!"**

**The paramedics drove up towards them.**

**Nearby, Xero noticed the ambulance and sees the event. A painful feeling rushes into him, causing him to run to them.**

**The woman pumps into Aelita for the fourth to final time. Water suddenly gushes out of her. Aelita began to cough vigorously and spews out blood. The crowd gasps as the paramedics come towards Aelita for severe medical attention.**

**"Oh my God! OH MY GOD!?" the woman embraces Aelita.**

**Xero finally catches up to them and sees Aelita.**

**"Hey... Hey!"**

**She was being rolled into the ambulance in haste before the large crowd. Then a woman, similar to Aelita in appearance, follows them.**

**"Wait... Wait! What's going on.?"**

**"Calm down, young man." the police said.**

**Xero tries to go through the crowd but the police stops him.**

**"Wait! What happened to her!? What happened to Aelita!?"**

**"Calm down, now!"**

**"Let me go!"**

**"I'm warning you...! Restrain yourself or else!"**

**"Dammit, let go of me!"**

THWAP!

**Xero unmistakably threw a hard right at the cop. The crowd went wild as multiple cops try to restrain Xero.**

**"Stop him! STOP HIM!"**

**His animalistic aura went berserk as he attempted to free himself from dozens of cops. Xero saw Aelita lifted into the ambulance. The woman entered as well, but looks back to see Xero. She saw the painful look in his eyes, the uttermost care that he had for Aelita. But all of that interpretation was cut off from the double doors closing between them.**

**Xero suddenly feels crushed inside. And for that, he lifts up both of the policemen and pushes the rest out of the way with immeasurable strength and runs up to the ambulance. But before he took seven paces...**

POP! SHRCK!

THUD!

**Xero's body pulsates from the electrocution. The officer who shot him stood frozen. Xero's vision blurred as two heavily armored cops took him away. The long drive to the police station was a pain. It was too great for him to handle, seeing Aelita taken away to the hospital. But who was that woman? She looked exactly like Aelita.**

**'Who was she? And what happened to Aelita?'**

THWACK!

**Xero kept silent even though the slap was painful. He was in an interrogation center, and the chief of police isn't very pleased of Xero's actions.**

THWACK!

**Xero churns his jaw and spits blood on the floor in front of him. Then he stares right into the man's eyes.**

**"You want to be the tough guy, eh? What the HELL was THAT!?" he pressed. "There was already too much grief going on. But this? Beating up an officer, MY officer, and taking down more of them? You had the balls, young lad. Boy, did you had the balls. But, when it comes to that, it means jail time you prick."**

**"I was angry..."**

**"ANGRY AT WHAT!? MY OFFICER!"**

**Silence fills the room.**

**"I wanted to see my friend."**

**"What friend? What friend are you talking about? All I saw out there was you punching the SHIT out of my goddamn officer!"**

**"He was the reason I was separated from her. I wanted to know what was going on, but he tells me to calm down, grabbing my arm as if I was some type of psychopath and draw me away from her! So that's when I get more and more desperate to find out what the hell was going on!"**

**"So you punch him for that bullshit? Just because your friend was getting away from you? Just because he wanted you to stay out of people's business that can get you in trouble?"**

**"Him stopping me was trouble enough!"**

**"SHUT UP!"**

THUMP!

**"Now listen closely... You are this close to getting locked up. What I want you to do is remember my face real good. Because the next time we meet, you and I will have a nice little chat with the bars separating us with me outside and you in a jail cell. Got it?"**

**"..."**

**"GOT IT!?"**

**"Keep dreaming, sandman." Xero said coldly.**

**"You motherf-"**

**Xero rips the handcuffs apart and shoves the chief onto the wall. Two female officers came into the room with Xero at gunpoint.**

**"Stop, or we will shoot!"**

**Xero looks at them with annoyance and turns back to the chief.**

**"Now you listen closely, you will never see me in a jail cell. I'd rather die then be anywhere near these slave houses. I would give you a full speech on how these sons of bitches get paid off of enslaved people, innocent or not... but, I have some business of my own that I need to take care of. So if you have anything else you need to say, be my guest. I'm right here."**

**Silence. This occurred for a few moments.**

**"So be it."**

**Xero let's go of the chief and he false to the floor. As Xero turns, the guns were pointed at him again.**

**"Stop! We will shoot!"**

**Xero slowly advances towards them until his shirt touches the gun. The officers hesitated as he stood right before them.**

**"If you all wanted to shoot me..." Xero slowly moves the guns away from him, "...you would of done that way before they shot me with a bolt gun."**

**Then Xero just walks away. The chief slowly gets up as the women puts away their guns. Then he looks at them in anger.**

**"Why the hell didn't you shoot him!?"**

**The women look at each other, then back at him. "Because he's not a bad person."**

**As he exits the police station, Xero takes a full sprint towards the hospital.**

THUNK!

**The cot bangs through the door as the nurses take Aelita to the ER. They were reading her vitals as they get into the room. Aelita was still unconscious as they grab their equipment. The woman stares at Aelita for a long time through the window.**

**"Clear!"**

SHHK!

**"Not good. Again. Clear!"**

SHHK!

**Aelita's body jerks up, but nothing occurs.**

**"Again, again! Clear!"**

SHOOM!

**Time goes slow as Aelita's body elevates like a lifeless dummy. The woman began to drip the floor with tears. Xero is a block away from the hospital. He crosses a roundabout and reaches the entrance.**

SHOOM!

**Aelita's body ripples from the shock. The nurses slowly take off their masks. The woman knew what they were thinking and began to sob.**

**"I can't do it." the nurse said. "I just can't."**

**"We have to keep trying. No matter what." another said.**

**"We did this four times! If we keep doing that, her heart will explode!"**

**Silence fills the room. The woman's sobs were muffled from the door. Until a beep.**

**The nurses turn.**

beep

beep

beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...beep

**Everyone gasps. The woman exhales in relief. Xero runs out of the elevator and turns a corridor.**

**Aelita coughs and sits up. The nurses come up to her.**

**"Are you okay, sweetie?"**

**Aelita nods. "Yes, yes I am." Then she passes out.**

**"She needs rest." the main nurse said.**

**Minutes later, Xero exits the last elevator towards Aelita's room. The door was already open. Aelita was asleep. The woman was sitting near her. As he was about to go inside, a gray and pink Persian cat appears out of nowhere and mewls. Xero picks it up and caresses it. The woman saw him and the cat.**

**"May I come in?" Xero asks.**

**The woman eyed him closely for a minute. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes demanded an explanation of who he is. Those green eyes, piercing through him like Novocain fluid needles. But when she saw how the cat was fully succumbed to Xero's presence, she rewrote her mind.**

**"Come." she said.**

**Xero half-bowed and walked into the room. Then he sits right next to her. The room was filled with another round of silence besides the cat's purr. Then, the woman began to speak.**

**"What is your name?"**

**"Xero."**

**"With an 'X' or 'Y'?"**

**"X"**

**"Do you know Aelita?"**

**"Yes."**

**The woman nods. Then Xero began to ask.**

**"You must be her mother, right?"**

**The woman turns to him.**

**"How did you know?"**

**"You and Aelita look alike. You just have longer hair."**

**The woman nods.**

**"And for that being the case, you are Anthea Schaeffer, right? It's so nice to meet you."**

**Frozen.**

**Xero didn't hear a response, but when he turns to face her, she was already centimeters to his face.**

**"How do you know who I am?" she said silently.**

**"Aelita."**

**"No. That was my old name. How did you know that? No one else knows but my husband-"**

**"-which is Frantz Hopper." Xero finished.**

**Anthea eyes widen. Then she suddenly grabs Xero's throat and lifts him up, startling the cat away. Xero holds his breath.**

**"Who do you work for!?"**

**"What the hell are you talking about?"**

**"How the hell do you know who I am and who my husband is? Do you expect me to believe you're just Aelita's friend!?"**

**"How else do you think I know her!?"**

**"Don't feed me that crap!" Anthea throws him across the room.**

**Aelita began to stir. Xero gets up, but receives a kick in the face from a roundhouse. The cat meows at Anthea. She turn to shoo the cat away and when she turns back, Xero grapples her. His grip was tight and overwhelming. Xero tries to trip her down but Anthea knees him hard. Xero clutches his stomach. Then he looks up.**

POW! POW! POW! THUMP!

**Xero waits for a fifth punch to the face. When Anthea throws it, Xero catches her arm and flips her to the floor.**

BAM!

**Anthea felt great pain on her back. Xero did not wanted to do that, but he had no choice.**

**Then, a sigh.**

**Xero turns to Aelita as she continue to stir. But not awake.**

click

**A gun was pointing directly at him. Xero slowly turns to Anthea.**

**"You don't want to do this."**

**"Why? So the Society Protection Agency won't find me again? Huh? And dip my head in water so I would answer their questions, huh?"**

**"What?" Xero asks.**

**"Don't 'what' me!"**

**"Anthea..."**

**"Don't call me by that name. Only my husband can."**

**Then, Xero suddenly realized what she was talking about.**

**"The men in black. That's what they were called? The ones that took you away from your husband. And Aelita. Right?"**

**Anthea thought this through. Then she put the gun away, slowly. Xero sighs. Then a voice, the same one from earlier.**

**"Xero?"**


End file.
